Striking A Pose
by Demoneyes 14
Summary: Team 7 is shocked to find Sakura in the swimsuit issue of Icha Icha Paradise... ESPECIALLY SAKURA! Now not only does Sasuke have to protect her from perverted men, but also from a stalker who wants to claim her! CHAPTER 10 UP! Sasusaku NaruHina KakaIcha
1. Discovery

**Striking a Pose**

Summary: Team 7 is shocked when Kakashi finds Sakura in an ad in Icha-Icha Paradise. ESPECIALLY Sakura! Not only does she have a fan club now, but someone's now stalking her, wanting to see more! SasuSaku.

**Chapter 1: Discovery**

It was another hot summer day… and so it had been for the past week or so. Most of the town had been spending their time at the beach as they tried to cool down. Sakura and Naruto had been down there a couple of times too, along with the ever-perverted Kakashi. And Sasuke? Who knows? Nobody ever knew where he lurked. Most people suspected that he stayed in the Uchiha manor.

But today, Sasuke was leaning against the side of the bridge as he waited for the rest of his team to arrive. The Uchiha prodigy, now seventeen, did not move until he heard the familiar voice of Haruno Sakura.

"Sasuke!" She hollered, waving to him. Sasuke's eyes lingered on the kunoichi before returning to the ground. Sakura let out a small sigh. It was like this every day, and soon, her lingering disappointment had faded away into nothing.

Sakura gave him a small smile before taking her place across from him on the bridge. As the two waited for Naruto and Kakashi, a man passed by. He glanced over to his left, where Sakura stood and grinned.

"Hey, you're Sakura, aren't you?" He said, waving at her. "You looked great!"

Sasuke gave Sakura a questioning look while the pink-haired kunoichi laughed nervously and waved it off. Once the man left, Sasuke asked,

"What was that all about?" Sakura shrugged.

"Don't know…" She replied as she scratched the back of her head. "I'm as confused as you are."

Sasuke gave her one final look of uncertainty before going back into his little world. What irked him, however, was the fact that every man that passed by kept complimenting Sakura for… whatever reason, he did not know! When did Sakura become so popular? Maybe when she went to the beach last weekend… but what could be so great at the beach that would suddenly spark everyone's interest in her?

His thoughts were soon interrupted when a flash of orange blocked his train of thought.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto said, grinning. Both remained quiet, not quite ready for Naruto's ranting just yet. The blonde's smile faded and was soon replaced by a confused look. "Yo… what's up with you two?" Although Sakura had stopped beating Naruto's skull in a long time ago, she usually had some sort of taunting remark to shoot at him, but today, she said nothing.

Letting out a sigh, Naruto got comfortable in the middle of the bridge and closed his eyes to nap. Sasuke and Sakura remained quiet as they waited for their teacher.

As they waited, two older men walking together drooled over the latest issue of Icha-Icha Paradise. Their pace slowed down as they neared the two shinobi. Whispers were passed between the two when they glanced at the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura became uneasy and shifted in her spot.

"I'm pretty sure you have something else to do." Sasuke growled, his eyes becoming a piercing red. The two men gave him a frightened look before speeding up to make it across the bridge.

"Perverts…" The prodigy muttered under his breath. What exactly had spurred everyone's interest in Haruno Sakura? She looked like her same old self. Had she done something? No… not possible. She would've told someone about it… and somehow, the message would be passed to him.

"Yo!"

There was a puff of smoke and Kakashi appeared before them, his trusty book held squarely in front of his nose. Nobody bothered to move. The usual 'You're late, Kakashi' routine had vanished a while ago. Naruto let out a yawn of boredom while Sakura rubbed one of her eyes. "So! Shall we get going?"

Without another word, the four ninjas started walking to their favourite training area, not really paying attention to the world around them. Once training started, they would really wake up and soon they would be battling like crazy. Naruto walked beside Sakura in the front, conversing happily with one another. Sasuke walked not too far behind, doing the usual Uchiha stuff and Kakashi was at the back, reading his perverted book.

Satisfied with the latest 'incidents' in Icha-Icha Paradise, Kakashi flipped over to the advertisements. When he looked down, he felt like the Chidori and the Rasengan had hit him in the face many, many times. He was in such a state of shock that he practically turned to stone and fell onto his back in the exact same position.

When Team 7 heard Kakashi's steps falter, they turned around curiously to see what was wrong. Seeing the petrified Kakashi, the three ran over to see what had happened.

"Kakashi!" Naruto cried, shaking him furiously. "Come on! WAKE UP DAMMIT!"

"Was he attacked?" Sakura asked, a hint of worry in her voice as she glanced around. Sasuke shook his head.

"No… nobody's here." He muttered.

"But all he was doing was looking at his book!" Naruto barked. "Do you think he came down with something?"

"No way, idiot! He was just fine a second ago!"

Naruto frowned at Sakura's statement. "Well, I saw this thing once about this bug… and when it bites somebody, they get petrified almost immediately, and then the swarm devours the victim alive by-" Sakura clapped a hand over his mouth.

"I don't want to hear it!" She snapped. "Besides, there's no swarm!"

"Do you think he finally snapped from seeing all that hentai?" Sasuke mused.

"It's possible…" Sakura murmured. "But what could have scared him to practically pass out?" Naruto, knowing what horrible sights lurked in the pages, scrambled away, fearing that he would see. Sakura shook her head quickly, inching further away. Sasuke had no choice. He would have to find out.

Reaching a hand out, Sasuke got a hold of Kakashi's hentai comic. Feeling the coloured pages, he let out a sigh of relief, realizing that it was just an advertisement. He was surprised to see that Kakashi's grip was still pretty firm on the book despite the fact that he had fainted.

"He really does love these books…" He growled, finally tearing the book out of his firm hold. He turned the book around and he himself nearly passed out in shock. There on the ad were photos of Haruno Sakura in her familiar pink bikini, lying down on a towel and looking over her shoulder at the camera. Her face showed a hint of surprise and her butt… OH! What a view!

"S-Sakura…?" He turned to face her, his eyes still wide in shock. "W-Why are you in a-a… porn magazine?"

Sakura's eyes bulged. "W-WHAT!" The pink-haired girl looked over his shoulder at the book and gasped.

"W-what the hell is this!" She cried, taking a step back. "I-I never… I mean…I didn't…" She stumbled a little further back, eventually colliding with Naruto, who had also seen the picture of her. The orange Shinobi placed his hands on her shoulders to support her.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked, clearly concerned. Sasuke flipped to the next ad, cursing when he found several more pictures of the young Haruno in different poses. Kakashi, who had awoken, groaned and rubbed his head.

"I swear, I will never look at that comic the same way again." He muttered. Naruto glared.

"HELLO! Your comic has PORN! NAKED PEOPLE doing REALLY NASTY THINGS! And Sakura in a bikini is a PROBLEM!"

It was true. Naruto was completely outraged. His dearest friend, Sakura had been put in a hentai comic and she didn't even know who had taken the pictures of her! Sasuke was probably more furious than the blonde boy. The pictures went on for another three pages, but what really set him off was the sentence at the bottom of the last page.

_Want to see more?_

Oh, god, whoever did this to her was dead!

Snapping the book shut, Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Oi, dobe! Where's Jiraiya!"

& & & & &

Jiraiya sat hunched over his desk, working on the next issue of Icha-Icha Paradise when there was a knock on the door. Letting out a sigh of frustration, he stood up and shuffled over.

"Hey! This better be the pizza I've been waiting for!" He called before grabbing the handle and jerking the door open. He couldn't help but be surprised at who his visitors were.

"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" He asked, completely taken off guard by this turn of events. Naruto stood at the front, his eyes fixated with Jiraiya's. Naruto was now just a head or so shorter than the silver-haired man, proving how much he had grown. Sasuke was still taller, of course, and Sakura, well… she was now the smallest of the trio.

"Hey! What the hell is with this issue!" The blonde cried, shoving into Jiraiya's face. The perverted Sennin gave Naruto a surprised look.

"Aren't you a little young to be reading those?" He asked.

"Kakashi passed out reading it." Sasuke said darkly. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "We knew that it couldn't just be the plain crap you have in it, so we had a look."

Naruto opened to the advertisement showing Sakura in her bikini. Jiraiya's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Oh my god…" He said, clearly shocked. "Look at those cur- OW!"

"Ignore the feminine body for just one second!" The blonde barked. Jiraiya fell silent, waiting for Naruto to speak. "The problem with this magazine is Sakura never had anyone take pictures of her! What's the deal!"

Jiraiya glanced over at Sakura, who looked down at her feet in embarrassment. "To tell you the truth, you three, I have no clue. I'm not the one who puts pictures in here. I just draw the hentai." He said, scratching the back of his head. "You'd have to talk to the editor of it for any info. I'm clueless."

"And how do you suppose we get in there, huh?" This time it was Sakura who spoke. "I mean, three underage kids who come to complain about a porn book! Don't you think there's something wrong with that!"

Jiraiya scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You have a point there, missy…" He muttered. "And this _is_ a pretty big problem… so I'll come with you guys! What do you say?"

"You're the porn expert." Naruto growled, stepping aside to let the Sennin out of his home.

& & & & &

"Hello there, Jiraiya-San!" A lady hollered from her desk. The Silver-haired man nodded to her.

"Hey, Yumi. Could you tell me where the publisher is right now?" He asked. Yumi nodded.

"Yes! He's in his office." She replied. It was then that she noticed the three teens standing behind him, the female looking strangely pale. "Are these three with you?" She asked curiously. Jiraiya nodded.

"Yeah, I have to get some… issues straightened out. Alright?"

With that, Jiraiya started walking through the many crowded halls, the three students of Kakashi's following him closely. Sasuke kept stealing sideward glances at the now shaking Haruno and let out a sigh.

She didn't deserve this… she never deserved this.

"Here we are!"

Jiraiya stopped in front of a door that was a good deal away from the crowd. With a quick knock, he opened the door and stepped inside. There sat a small, lanky man looking at several letters from aspiring fans of certain comics. Glancing up at the doorway, a smile brightened his thin face as he welcomed the famous cartoonist.

"Jiraiya!" He exclaimed. "Come in, come in!"

Once Jiraiya moved out of the way, the man saw the three shinobi whose faces had grim expressions on them.

"Hey! I know you!" He gasped, pointing at Naruto. "You're that Uzumaki kid! Weren't you training with Jiraiya a while back?" Naruto couldn't help but admire the fact that he was being recognized and nodded. The man's gaze then turned to the other boy. "And you're Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke looked away, not thoroughly happy being in this situation. "And you're Sakura!" He finished. "Weren't you the model in our last issue?"

"That, Tohru… would be the problem." Jiraiya said, cutting in. "Our young Sakura never signed up, not to mention she's underage."

Tohru's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, my god…" the paperwork in his hands slipped through his fingers and onto the desk. "I am so sorry, miss! I swear to god I didn't know! The registration form says you're nineteen and-"

"Registration?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "May I see it?"

Tohru mumbled a reply before going through a pile of paperwork and pulling out a form. Sakura looked over this and shook her head.

"This isn't me." She said sternly. "Not my handwriting… NO, orange is not my favourite colour! And being a model is NOT my dream career!" Her face was beet red, and Naruto had to hold her back before she killed the manager.

"Who was the one that did this?" Sasuke asked. Tohru bit his lip, trying to think back.

"I'm not sure." He replied. Usually the models go to a studio to get pictures taken. The photos are then sent to me along with the registration forms." He let out a sigh. "In other words, I have no idea.

Before any more questions could be asked by team 7, Jiraiya thanked the thin man and ushered them out.

"We'll continue this investigation further." The silver-haired man said quietly. "But for now, you guys should get some rest. I'm sure this is stressful for all three of you."

Knowing that it was pointless to argue, the three students turned and left the building, each of them brooding over the incident.

Something wasn't right… and they intended to find out.

TBC...

Wow... long! Yeah... another naruto fic. I know... BUT IT GOT STUCK IN MY HEAD AND I NEEDED TO WRITE IT DOWN! AUGH!

Anyway, review please! Tell me whatcha think!


	2. Stalker

Wow. Finally up! I never thought I'd get it done! I never knew that it was that original! O.O

Well, sorry for the wait! I had graduation and all that jazz… I've also signed up for DeviantArt, so I've been busy with that too!

Sorry again!

Also, for fans of 'Not Your Fight Anymore', the chapter is almost finished! I just suddenly had a creativity boost for this fic.

I hope you like!

**Chapter 2: Stalker**

A day had passed since team seven had visited Jiraiya. Naruto was still completely pissed off, while Sasuke, while still enraged, managed to calm down a bit and control his anger while trying to restrain the angered Naruto.

And Sakura? Sakura left the building without a word. Sasuke, knowing now that she would most likely have some other perverted men following her, walked by her side.

"Sasuke… you don't need to walk me home…" She said quietly. Sasuke glanced over at her, surprised to see her face a light shade of pink.

It had been the first time he had seen her blush in a long time.

"Sakura?" He raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you blushing?"

Sakura bit her lip and sort of stepped away, her face becoming even darker. Sasuke tried to meet her gaze, but to no avail.

"Are you embarrassed about me seeing those pictures?" He continued prodding, a small smirk forming on his face. The Uchiha prodigy had seen her in less clothes during missions when they were attacked… or when someone spied on her while she was in a spring…

Man, there were perverts EVERYWHERE!

Sakura bit her lip. "I… I don't know… it just feels weird…" She replied quietly. The shyness of her voice rivaled that of Hinata.

Letting out a sigh, Sasuke shook his head.

"Sakura… we'll find the one who's been following you. I promise."

There was much silence after that. The only sounds that could be heard were the faraway cries of giddy children playing in the fields and the occasional twitter of birds.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you getting so frustrated about this?"

Sasuke turned to her in question. "What do you mean?" Sakura smiled and shook her head.

"Never mind." She said with an innocent voice. Sasuke frowned, but didn't bother arguing.

As the two continued to walk, Sasuke couldn't help but notice all of the men turning their heads in Sakura's direction. There were even close calls of men passing by and reaching out to grab her ass, but quickly chose otherwise when they saw the Uchiha's death glare.

Sakura silently thanked the Uchiha for being with her. She had never guessed that there would be so many creeps in Konoha… or so many that read Icha-Icha Paradise. She had never really noticed before… but now that she looked, she couldn't believe it.

The two walked quickly the rest of the way to her home, relieved to find the road on the way there practically vacant. Because it was the middle of summer, the cherry blossoms had disappeared long ago, leaving lush green leaves. Both of them found the setting quite soothing, taking them away from their current problems.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

Sakura glanced up solemnly at her older teammate. "How long do you think this will go on?" She asked quietly. Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't know, Sakura." He admitted. It hurt to say that to her, but he truly didn't know what would happen. Sakura nodded sadly, her head hanging as she stared vacantly at the ground. Sasuke sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll promise you one thing though." He told her softly. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you more than they already have." He then frowned, imagining what Naruto would say at a time like this. "And same goes with the other two." The prodigy added after a moment. "Well… Naruto at least… I'm not so sure about Kakashi."

Over four years had passed by, and Sasuke, being seventeen, had formed a strange bond with the younger ninja. A light friendship was a good way to put it. He was like the older brother, highly protective of his little sister.

She was the closest thing to a sister he really had… and he didn't want to lose it so soon.

Before they realized it, the two shinobi were standing in front of Sakura's house. Sakura thanked him for walking her home and invited him inside for some tea. Sasuke agreed to her request and followed her inside.

One specialty he knew Sakura had was making amazing tea. It contained a strangely wonderful taste that differed from other teas, and at the same time, calmed you down.

"Here you go." Sakura said, placing a cup of the steaming liquid before him. The Uchiha nodded in thanks, lifting his cup and taking a sip. A sweet sensation rushed through his mouth. He swallowed the liquid, complimenting the Haruno's work once he was done. Sakura smiled and quickly left the room to get her mother's famous cookies.

As Sasuke waited, his eyes roamed the coffee table, trying to find something that would interest him. His eyes caught sight of a small, folded note under the vase. 'Saku' was all he needed to see to know it was for her.

Pulling the piece of paper out, he read through the note, his eyes narrowing dangerously once he realized what the note was referring to.

_I want to see more._

_You're one luscious piece of eye candy that hasn't quite been unwrapped yet._

_I'd like to see it all… taste it all… have it all…_

_I want you, my little Sakura. You're my delicious candy that I'm just dying to have._

_I see you everywhere. And with each passing moment I want you more. I'll always be there… watching your every move._

_I want you, Sakura._

"Shit…" he muttered as he crumpled the note in his fist. Sakura soon entered the room, a small plate of cookies in her hands.

"Sasuke?" She asked, noticing the look on his face. The Uchiha quickly pocketed the note, shaking his head.

"It's nothing…" He said quietly. Sakura frowned, but brushed it off. She turned around and started to walk out of the room when Sasuke spoke up.

"Sakura… I don't think it's safe for you to stay here…"

"Huh?" She turned around and gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Well… they mentioned where you lived in the magazine… and I'm guessing you'll have some secret admirers after this…" He replied quietly. He didn't want her to find out about the note… she had just finally calmed down.

"That's true…" She murmured, glancing at the ground. "Where do you suggest I stay?"

"With a friend." He said sternly. "Maybe Naruto or someone like that…" Sakura smiled.

"Funny how the first person you mention is Naruto." She laughed. "You sure you can trust him with me?" She added teasingly. Sasuke smiled slightly despite himself and nodded.

"He's a good friend. I know he would never violate you." He replied. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Sasuke." She murmured. "Thanks for everything."

& & & & &

"HINATA!"

The pearly-eyed girl turned her head at the sound of that oh-so familiar voice. Loud and cocky, slightly excited…

None other than Naruto.

A small blush rose to her face as a dust cloud was seen further down the road. There was Naruto, jacket tied around his waist as he ran up towards her. He soon stopped before her, breathing heavily.

"Hinata…" He breathed, looking up at her with those soft, blue eyes. "I'm… so glad… I found you…"

"N-Naruto?" She crouched down so that they were at eye-level. "W-what's the matter?"

"It's Sakura." He said, letting himself sit down right on the road. Hinata glanced down at him curiously. She knew perfectly well that Naruto didn't have a crush on Sakura anymore. What could have been the problem?

"Why don't w-we talk about it over s-some ramen?" She said, trying to remain as calm as she could. It wasn't every day that she asked Naruto out for ramen. Naruto's eyes shimmered and the next thing she knew, she was being pulled along by the orange ninja to Ichiraku.

"One pork ramen for me and a miso soup for my good friend Hinata here!" Naruto said as they sat down. He now had three minutes to explain what he could to her.

"You were at the beach with Sakura last weekend, right?" Naruto asked. Hinata nodded, still curious about what he was talking about. Naruto's face became grim as he looked at her.

"Someone took pictures of her… and published them in the forbidden book."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "W-what!" she gasped, not believing her ears. "But when…!"

"At the beach last weekend." He said, glancing down at the table. "Someone was taking snapshots of Sakura… registered her as over 19… and got her into the book."

Hinata gazed down at the table. "I can't believe this…" She breathed. "And Sakura of all people…" She then looked up at her long time crush. "I'll help you, Naruto." She said in such a firm voice that it shocked the blonde boy. "Sakura's my friend… a-and I don't want her hurt."

Naruto smiled. He had never heard Hinata say anything without stuttering in front of him.

"Thank you, Hinata!" he said, hugging her despite the table in between them. The Hyuuga gasped and flushed a deep red.

Her chances of not stuttering in front of him again were now slim to none.

The ramen was soon set before them. Even Hinata couldn't help but drool a bit.

"So where's Sakura n-now?" Hinata asked quietly as she lifted some noodles into the air.

"With Sasuke." He replied, looking up at her with a grin. "Something tells me Sasuke was more pissed than I was."

"W-what makes you say that?" Hinata asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"It was the look on his face." He murmured, gazing at no point in particular as he thought back to Sasuke. "I swore he was going to kill the next person that crossed his path." He added with a grin.

Hinata smiled. She knew perfectly well that the members of Team 7 were very protective of one another. It was no surprise that the great Uchiha Sasuke would get angered over something like this.

"Yeah… you just gotta promise to keep this quiet, kay?" Naruto, said as he lowered his voice. Hinata nodded quickly, causing Naruto to grin.

"GREAT! Let's dig in!"

And with that, he was completely absorbed in his noodles.

"Oi! Dobe!"

Naruto choked on his precious food. The noodles hanging in his windpipe. Hinata had to rush over and slap him on the back several times until he was breathing again.

"SASUKE!" he barked, turning in the direction of the raven-haired boy who stood smirking. "What the hell!"

"Sakura needs a place to stay." Sasuke said, ignoring his friend's screams. "You're free, right?"

Naruto gave Sasuke a suspicious look. "Why doesn't she stay with you?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Besides… I can barely fit myself into that apartment anymore." He glanced over at the pink-haired girl beside the Uchiha. "Sorry, 'bout that, Sakura…"

The young Haruno smiled. "It's perfectly okay, Naruto. But now where will I go?"

"I vote Sasuke's!" Naruto called, standing up and raising his hand over his head. Hinata shyly raised her hand too. Sasuke looked from Naruto to Hinata and back to Naruto again.

"You told her!" He whispered harshly. Naruto shrugged.

"We can trust her." He said lazily as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. "This Hinata were talking about!"

"I agree with Naruto." Sakura cut in. "She's my friend. I trust her."

Sasuke stared long and hard at the orange shinobi, unsure of how to get back at him.

"… fine." He growled. "but nobody else, got it?"

Naruto stood up and did a mock-salute just to piss the Uchiha off. Sasuke growled and turned on his heel.

"Come on, Sakura. We need to get you moved in I guess…"

& & & & &

"Are you sure this is alright?"

Sakura stood at the door to the Uchiha home, carrying one bag in each hand. Sasuke, who had just unlocked the door, turned around to face her.

"Why wouldn't it be?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's not going to matter. You're going to have some problems if you stay at your old home."

Sakura nodded glumly. She had been shocked earlier that day when a giant pile of gifts was piled up at her front door… one of them most likely containing one of her fans.

Did all models go through this?

Letting out a sigh, she followed the Uchiha inside. She placed her bags down near the door and looked around.

It was the first time she had been inside his home… and she could not believe how beautiful it really was. Everything was clean… all except for a bit of dust here and there.

"Wow… Sasuke this is beautiful!" She gasped, her feet moving on their own as she began to explore. "My god… it's as if you have a maid here!"

"Nope." Sasuke said as he let himself fall onto the couch in the living room. Sakura glanced over at him in surprise.

"Are you serious? You don't have a maid cleaning this?"

"It can be arranged…" He muttered, letting one of his eyes open to glance over at her. Images of Sakura in a maid suit cleaning everything soon popped into his head and he couldn't help but snicker at the thought. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"What exactly are you thinking about, Sasuke?" She asked hotly. Sasuke shook his head.

"Nothing." He replied with a sly grin. Sakura immediately began to worry about his intentions while she was here.

Wait. What was she thinking! She knew and trusted Sasuke. He would never do anything to degrade her.

As if he was reading her mind, Sasuke spoke up: "You don't need to worry. I wouldn't do anything like that to you."

Sakura smiled and nodded. Sasuke glanced at her and knew she was still a little upset about the eye-candy problem.

And at the moment… so was he.

And she already has a stalker! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!

He would tell Naruto about the note later. For now, he would help Sakura make dinner.

Because she was finally calm… finally happy…

He wanted to see that.

TBC…

Yup! Done! THANK GOD!

Well, I hope you guys like this chapter as much as you did the first…


	3. Spreading Like Sand

Okies, here's chapter three. I decided to add my favourite character in here. An idea popped into my head and I couldn't help but add it!

Also, the reason I took so long was because I'm also currently working on a webcomic now. Not to mention high school is in like four days! Geez.

Also, for people that are fans of **THE RIVALRY ROOM**, I WILL be posting soon. I'm just having writers block on it. It will be contniued!

Thank you.

**Chapter 3: Spreading like sand**

Sasuke sat with Naruto at Ichiraku, explaining the latest events and what they should do to stop them.

"The note proves that she's got a stalker now." Sasuke muttered. "Not only the photographer, but some other crazed fan as well."

Naruto nodded as he tried to restrain the anger that was welling up inside his chest.

"You know, there's always the chance that the photographer and the stalker are one and the same." He pointed out. Sasuke shook his head.

"I doubt it." he muttered. Wouldn't Sakura have gotten the note before?

"Who would be sick enough to do something like that to Sakura?" Naruto wondered aloud, crumpling the note with his fist. "And then put it in Icha-Icha Paradise! I mean that's just cruel!"

Sasuke ran his fingers through his black mane.

"Yes. I know that already." He muttered as he closed his eyes. "The question would be where to start our search."

Naruto shrugged. "Well Hinata's also agreed to help, so it'll be a lot easier." He then grinned. "Now we have the Sharingan AND the Byakugan on our side!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"And we're using these to find a photographer." He muttered. Naruto shook his head.

"It will come in handy! Believe me!"

Naruto gave the Uchiha a thumbs up just as the ramen arrived. The blonde boy grinned and soon had his face in his noodles. Sasuke sighed.

"Well there's no point talking to him for a while…" He muttered as he stood up. "Later, Naruto."

Naruto raised his free hand and waved at him before going back to his noodles. Sasuke rolled his eyes and left the shop, passing Hinata along the way.

He kept walking until a sudden cloud of dust on the horizon caught his eye. His black orbs widened and he took a step back. Fangirls? No… the ground was shaking even more so… not to mention there were no girly shrieks protruding from it.

It was something he had never seen before…

Fan-BOYS!

And he could only think of one person that the horde of people could be chasing at that moment.

Sakura!

Sure enough, a flash of pink soon appeared among the parting crowd, racing towards him at lightning speed. Right behind her were several perverted men chasing her.

Sasuke groaned. "Shit…" He muttered before stepping up to the frantic kunoichi and pulling her along in order to lose the group.

"Sasuke?" Sakura looked at her teammate in surprise. He glanced over his shoulder and glared.

"Shut up and keep running! If you don't you'll never get away from them!"

Sakura did as she was told, soon catching stride with him. They turned a corner, soon gaining speed with the added chakara they focused in their feet.

"Damn…" The Uchiha muttered as they turned and ran down another street. "And I thought girls were a pain…"

"Excuse me!"

"I didn't mean you!"

They turned a corner and hid in an alley as they waited for the mob to pass. Once they had gone, Sasuke glanced down at the pink-haired Kunoichi.

"These guys are fast… faster than the girls…" He then frowned. "How the hell did you stay away from them?"

"Ran as fast as my legs could take me." Sakura replied. "Those creeps are nuts…" She added, shuddering at the thought. Sasuke let out a small sigh before glancing out at the busy street.

"Let's go back to the manor…" he said quietly. "This place is too crazy for my liking."

Sakura gazed over at him solemnly. He was going through all this trouble… letting her stay with him, helping her find who had taken pictures of him, and saving her from fan boys…

"Sasuke?"

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder at her, his face appearing indifferent. Sakura smiled weakly as she looked at him.

"Thank you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question. He opened his mouth to ask, but Sakura waved for him to stop.

"Nevermind." She chirped, laughing slightly. "We should just get back."

Sasuke nodded quickly as the two headed further down the alley. Just when they thought they were home free…

"THERE THEY ARE!" Someone cried

"GET AWAY FROM MY SAKURA!"

It was the first time either of them had heard someone besides Naruto or Lee say that line.

"Shit…" Sasuke muttered freezing in his tracks. He glanced over at the young Haruno, nodding slightly.

"Alright, on the count of three." He muttered. "THREE!"

The two quickly sped away from there. Sakura felt as if she was in one of those lame chase-scenes from one of many corny movies she had dared to rent, and now she could've sworn she was hearing the music!

The two turned a corner and dashed past Ichiraku, leaving Naruto and Hinata behind in the dust.

"What's with them?" Naruto asked curiously. Hinata looked down the street where they had come, her pale eyes widening in shock.

"Naruto! Get back!" She cried, catching him by the hand and jerking him into the ramen bar just as the giant mob of perverted men stampeded by.

"Hinata… YOU SAVED MY LIFE!" Naruto cried, pouncing on her. Hinata blushed furiously as she tried to pry the ecstatic boy off of her.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura continued to run from the mob. They turned another corner, Sasuke pulling out a cloth and pressing themselves up against the fence. They felt the ground shake as the stampede headed by, completely unaware that they had performed one of the simplest tricks in the book.

Once the storm had passed, Sasuke turned to face the young girl beside him. "You okay?" He asked as he dropped the sheet. Sakura nodded.

"Yo."

"AAH!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the two young ninjas, now extremely stressed out from the latest events that had just occurred.

"The stampede…" They both nodded. "Fanboys?" They nodded again. "That would explain it."

Sasuke and Sakura could only watch as Kakashi turned on his heel, beckoning to follow him.

"Come. We were told to go visit the Kaze Kage in the Sand village." He looked over his shoulder. "Unless you wish to stay here and hide…"

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura wasted any time in following him. They would do ANYTHING to get out of this hellhole…

Even if it meant visiting Gaara…

* * *

"Damn it all…"

A familiar auburn-haired teen walked the streets of the sand village, his eyes half lidded and index and middle fingers rubbing his temple. Sure, the life of Kaze Kage was stressful, but not near as bad as today.

Today was definitely not working for him, so he had decided to take a walk.

He would pass by several people, who now did not cower in fear, but gave him a slight nod in recognition or a smile.

Even little kids would come up and say hi.

It was indeed a nice change.

He continued walking, gazing up at the sky. He frowned at one section that was now blocked by an annoying billboard with some pink-haired girl in a bikini.

He froze. Pink hair?

There was only one person he knew that had pink hair. He glanced up again and his fears were soon realized.

There was Haruno Sakura; the girl that tried to protect the great Uchiha Sasuke when they were in battle. She was now on a billboard wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini.

Before he could do a thing, the sand took over, flying towards the billboard and crushing it in its hold. Several villagers backed away from the area and the now extremely stressed out Gaara.

His eye now twitching, Gaara headed back, his mind set on one thing…

Getting Team Seven's asses over here!

Damn he shouldn't have used the word ass…

* * *

"How much longer will he take?" Naruto asked, a hint of impatience in his voice. "I mean seriously. We shouldn't have to wait this long! It's been hours!"

"It's only been twenty minutes, Naruto. Be patient."

Naruto growled in frustration. "I want ramen after this…"

Kakashi sighed. "As long as it shuts you up…"

The door soon opened, a calm voice calling for them to come in. The four of them stood up, quickly stepping inside; Naruto going first, followed by Kakashi, Sasuke and finally Sakura. The room was quite tidy, and the only speck of imperfection was a bit of sand currently straightening out some scrolls over on the opposite side.

Gaara sat at the desk, his hands creating a platform in front of him to rest his chin on. His eyes were closed, but once the door clicked shut, one of his pale green eyes opened to respond to their entry.

"You wanted to see us, Gaara?" Naruto asked tentatively. Gaara nodded, his eyes never landing on the young Haruno. He opened his mouth to speak when he was rudely interrupted by the orange shinobi.

"Holy shit!" He cried as he pointed to a crushed billboard through the window. "What the hell happened! Isn't anyone going to fix that!"

"As if I'd really want to!" Gaara snapped. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the boy, whose teeth were now gritted together.

"That's the reason why I brought you here." He dared to glance over at Haruno Sakura, whose face had a look of curiosity in them.

"What the hell was Sakura doing on a billboard here!" He asked, his voice raising slightly. "In a bikini no less!"

The four could only gape at the fuming Kaze Kage, not only because of the look on his face, but also the fact that her fame had spread to the other villages.

Sasuke dared to turn his head towards the pink haired shinobi. He wasn't surprised to see her shocked face; eyes wide and face pale, except for the slight hint of pink on her cheeks from embarrassment.

Gaara raised an eyebrow at her, still totally clueless about what was happening. He noticed her knees buckling under her and quickly caught her with his sand. Sasuke quickly lifted her up, draping her arm over his shoulder to hold her. Naruto crouched down, flicking her forehead with his fingers

"She's passed out…" the blonde murmured, eyes wide in shock. He glanced over at the still clueless Kaze Kage, a nervous grin on his face.

"Hey, Gaara… This may sound funny, but do they sell Icha-Icha Paradise?"

The auburn haired ninja frowned. "What the hell are you-"

"Yes in fact they do!" Kakashi piped up. "There's a store a couple blocks away from here as a matter of fact!"

The three boys blinked at the strange sensei, all unsure of how he knew such things. The Jounin laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I bought an issue here once…" He admitted slowly. All three boys felt like they were going to hurl.

"Why were we cursed with the most disgusting sensei?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Don't look at me, Naruto." He muttered. "You were cursed with two…" Sasuke smirked as the blonde shinobi pulled at his blonde locks.

"So would someone mind explaining what's going on now!"

* * *

She felt tired… EXHAUSTED more like. Her head was spinning… she felt the need to vomit…

Yup. Tsunade-sama had one too many.

"Damn you… (hic) stupid pickle…" She moaned, reaching a fist across her desk to slug the nonexistent food. The pickle vanished once her fist uh… made contact with it. "That's what you get… for taking… porno pictures… of my apprentice."

Her cheeks were a tinge of red and her eyes were hazy and unfocused. She frowned when something that looked like an old goat walked in. Glaring at the goat groggily, she picked up her paperweight.

"Die you stupid… uh… goat!" the Hokage shrieked, throwing it with amazing strength and accuracy. She chuckled and hiccuped when it hit her target, but then blinked when she heard a cry from the goat and watched it fall to the floor.

"Huh? The… goat's real?" She blinked and hiccuped again. Standing up, she walked over to the goat on her floor and after focusing a bit, she gasped.

"Jiraiya!" She cried, falling onto her butt. "What are you doing dressing up as a goat!"

The perverted sennin sat up, rubbing the fresh lump on his head. "You've been drinking again, eh Tsunade?" He forced a laugh. "You're taking the news about Sakura pretty hard…"

"Of COURSE I'm taking the news hard!" She snapped. "Why the hell should Sakura get into a swimsuit issue of Icha Icha Paradise before ME!"

Jiraiya laughed nervously. "Well you never did register… not to mention you have other magazines where you're published." He then winked. "And I own every one of them!"

Tsunade blushed furiously… well… her cheeks reddened even darker then before.

"Anyway… getting back on the subject of Sakura." Tsunade nodded, glancing over at her desk.

"She's in the sand village right now." Tsunade explained. "Gaara wanted to speak to them about something…"

Jiraiya winced. "If it's just Gaara… simply asking them to come for a talk… then it's not good."

They both stared at each other for a second.

"Sake?"

"Sure."

TBC…

Yesh. I finished with Tsunade and Jiraiya discussing the current incidents. I thought it would be fun to hear her reaction.

More to come. I guess you could say this was just a side story, but I pulled Gaara into it, so he shall suffer!

Review please! The only messages I seem to get anymore are for C2's and seriously they are getting really annoying.


	4. A New Lead

I know… this chapter came out oddly shorter than the others… T.T sorry…

Anyway my apologies for taking so long. School's got me on my toes and I need an 85 average to keep my computer… T.T

Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Took me a while to do… not to mention all my review, story and author alerts disabled on me and wouldn't come back. It was HELL!

Thanks a billion for the reviews tho! wow… over 130 already… I look forward to getting more reviews from you! Hope you like this chapter!

**Chapter 4: A new lead**

"Sakura…"

She moaned and turned away. "Shaddup, Naruto." She growled as she pushed the offending body away. She felt it stiffen when she said the orange ninja's name.

"NARUTO!"

Her eyes snapped open. She hesitantly turned to face an extremely furious Uchiha Sasuke. She opened her mouth to speak but he quickly cut in.

"How the hell do I sound like Naruto!"

"Uhh…" Sasuke really wasn't acting like himself.

"I thought I had finally gotten this jutsu thing right!" There was a cloud of smoke revealing a very disappointed orange ninja. Sakura laughed and sitting up, messed up his spiky blonde hair.

"Naruto I though I told you to stay out of there."

Both Naruto and Sakura turned their heads to see Sasuke enter the room. He noticed that Sakura was awake and smirked. "Took you long enough to wake up…"

Sakura smiled weakly and rubbed her head. "How long was I out?"

"Since yesterday." Naruto replied. "It's ten in the morning now."

Sakura blushed furiously. "I'm sorry…"

"No need to be." Kakashi grinned as he peeked through the door. "With all this stress, it's no surprise that you passed out. And it's not like this is a mission or anything, so you can relax."

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her messy pink hair. "I take it you told Gaara…"

All three nodded solemnly and soon an awkward silence filled the room. Sakura, finally remembering what she woke up to, turned to Naruto.

"Naruto… tell me… why did you disguise yourself as Sasuke?"

Naruto blushed as the real Uchiha Sasuke turned his head to face him in question. A frown formed on the dark-haired boy's lips while Kakashi remained indifferent and stared at the ceiling.

"Well you only seem to wake up to his 'soothing voice'!" he said, making the last two words mock the Uchiha. Sasuke glared at him, forcing Naruto to cringe. Sakura buried her face in the sheets, hiding the blush that was on her face. It was only then that she noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She smiled bitterly. It wasn't much of a surprise… seeing as this incident completely changed everyone's outlook on her…

Kakashi, noticing her distressed face, smiled slightly and beckoned Naruto to leave with him. Sasuke stayed behind, noticing the emotion flowing through her emerald eyes.

She was so easy to read… like a picture book…

"Sasuke…?"

He blinked and finally looked at her whole face. "Yeah?"

"Do you… still think of me as Sakura?" She asked quietly. "I mean… I'm still the same… you don't think of me any different… right?"

Sasuke gazed at her for a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "I have know idea where this came from…" He said with a frown. Sakura looked away in embarrassment and grief. "But…you'll always be the same Sakura to us." He paused and looked away, muttering under his breath: "Well… maybe not so much Kakashi…"

Sakura giggled, lightening up the mood in the room. "Sasuke…" She said with a slight smile. "I would've never guessed you had a sense of humor!"

Sasuke glanced at her and scowled. "I don't." He growled. Sakura merely smiled sweetly at him, ignoring his frustration.

After a moment or so, Sakura sat up and walked to the door across the room. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in her direction. She glanced over and smiled.

"I'm just taking a shower. Don't worry about me."

Sasuke nodded to her, eventually lying down on the bed once the door closed.

So far, they had found no trace of the stalker or photographer. Her fame had spread to the other villages, and the chances that she would be trampled by her fan club had risen dramatically.

"Damn it…" he let out a sigh. His thoughts continued to wander when the door creaked open. Sakura emerged, clothes back on and a towel hanging limply off her head. One hand was placed on the cloth as she dried her hair. Sasuke nodded to her as she sat down beside him.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

Sakura looked around. "Do you know where Kakashi and Naruto have gone?"

Sasuke nodded. "They're looking around." He replied. "Gaara's agreed to help…" Sakura blinked. "Really?" Sasuke nodded. "He wasn't all too pleased with seeing your ass up there…" the kunoichi blushed furiously and brought her head down into her lap. Sasuke glanced over at her. "Sorry…" he muttered. Sakura shook her head and said something, but her voice was muffled. Sasuke placed a hand on each shoulder and sat her back up straight.

"Just relax, Sakura…" He told her softly. "Everything will be okay soon…"

Despite these words, he could not help but hope that he himself was right too…

* * *

"So… Kakashi…" Naruto said as they walked down the streets. "Tell me… what are we doing exactly?"

Kakashi paused to look over at his student. "You'll see…" He said with a wink.

Reaching into his pouch, Kakashi pulled out the previous issue of Icha-Icha, and began reading. Naruto blinked at his teacher, curious as to why he was reading an older issue.

"You see, Naruto…" Kakashi began as he flipped the page. "Because of the latest incidents, the swim suit issue of Icha-Icha has been banned and taken off the bookshelves. Sadly, people are still selling them illegally…"

Naruto's blue eyes widened in realization. "I get it now!" he gasped. Kakashi nodded.

"Now let's speak of it no further. We need to find sources." he said, turning another corner onto a smaller street. The crowd had thinned out quite a bit and the noise had died down as well.

As the two passed by a fairly dark alley, a man that appeared to be in his forties stepped out and called to them. Kakashi craned his head to face him.

"I see you're an Icha-Icha fan…" the man said with a smirk. The Jounin rolled his eyes.

"Oh, how did you guess?" he asked sarcastically. The man chuckled at his attitude and ushered him towards him. Naruto made a move to follow, but Kakashi made him wait.

"I have the latest paradise novels that were removed from the shelves…" He said in a low whisper. "Haruno is in here too." The grin on his face grew. Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"Haruno, huh?" He kept his voice calm, despite the fact that his mind was screaming to kill the man right then and there.

"Yeah… she's an underage model. But if you pay extra… I can get you a poster sized copy of your favorite picture…"

Kakashi closed his eyes, once again trying to regain his control. He had always been able to keep his cool on missions, but this was different.

Someone was exploiting his student… a perfectly innocent girl…

She was like a daughter to him… maybe even a little sister… or a niece.

Yeah. He could be a good crazy uncle.

"Let me see these Paradise volumes." Kakashi said sharply. "That is… if you have them…"

The man frowned at the Jounin, but then reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the issue. It was in perfect condition. No creases, no curves. It was even still in his wrapping.

Just by looking, Kakashi knew that it was genuine. He had an eye for these things. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"You know… that Haruno girl… I know her…"

Opening them once again, he grabbed the man's throat and lifted him into the air, slamming him against the alley wall.

"SHE'S MY STUDENT, DAMN IT!" He snarled, his grip on the man's throat becoming even tighter. Another man, who had heard the first one's screams, came to see what was going on, then quickly ran back into the alley Naruto, seeing this, dashed in after him. He turned a corner to see several more men sprinting away.

"HEY BASTARDS!" He yelled, quickly forming bunshins as he spoke. The men charged right through them, not caring if they were illusions or not. They didn't get much farther, however, as they found themselves surrounded by a massive barrier of sand. The defeated Naruto looked up to see the silhouette of the Kaze Kage standing on the top of the building.

"Are these the men?" He asked. Naruto grinned and nodded. "Thanks, man!" he said, waving. Gaara nodded to him. Kakashi soon stepped out of the alley and looked up with a smile.

"Could you take these guys back to your office?" he asked. Gaara nodded once again and vanished along with the other men. Kakashi dusted off his hands and glanced at Naruto.

"I think we've done good, right?" Naruto nodded eagerly.

"I say we eat ramen to celebrate!" He cried. Kakashi rolled his eyes at him, but agreed to it.

* * *

"Sasuke… Sakura."

Gaara opened the door to face them. He looked over at Sasuke, motioning him to come out of the room. Sasuke glanced over at Sakura who nodded to him. Sasuke stood up and walked over to where Gaara was.

"We caught some of the dealers." He explained in an undertone. "Do you want to interrogate them?" Sasuke nodded and with one last glance at Sakura, stepped into the larger room. Five men sat on the couches, trembling slightly at the two boys.

"Don't even bother trying to move." Gaara said as one of the men motioned to stand up. "You do and I will not hesitate in killing you." His eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke and sand whirled about their feet, just to intimidate them. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk slightly. In a way it was all really amusing. Sasuke walked forward and sat down cross legged on the coffee table in front of them.

"Do you know why those books were taken off the shelves?" All but one of the men remained silent.

"Because she's underage." The man drawled. "Big deal!"

Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to remain calm. "You do realize those pictures were taken illegally… don't you?"

All the men hesitated, causing Sasuke to smirk. "The punishment for smuggling anything illegal is extremely high in the Sand." He said quietly. Even so, there was a hint of maliciousness in his voice. "Now if you don't want to face the full charges or be killed by Gaara over there…" he started, gesturing to the auburn haired boy. "I suggest you tell me who gave these to you to sell."

The men hesitated, glancing from one to the other.

"I-it was a smuggler that came from the leaf…" the smallest man said. "A young man with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail down near his neck."

"He's got piercing grey eyes too…" the man on the very left added. "He comes to the sand every month with smuggled items… and he tends to flirt with the women in the sand while he's here." He paused to take a breath, seeing Sasuke's interest growing. "In fact I think he's still in town." He added in an undertone.

Sasuke glanced over at Gaara, who nodded.

"Go ahead." He said. "I'll take care of these guys."

Sasuke thanked him quickly and went back into the other room to give Sakura the news. Seeing her face light up made the feeling of responsibility for her lighten slightly. Seeing her happy like that again was worth it.

He reached out and took her hand, leading her out of the room and into the area where Gaara and the other men stood. The dealer's eyes widened in horror when they saw Sasuke leading the young girl out of the room. He cast a cold glare at them, just daring them to try it again. They all became pale and after the door closed, it was silent.

Sasuke slowed down after getting a decent distance away and turned to the young Haruno.

"Are you sure you want to go find him?" he asked. Sakura nodded.

"Definitely! I want my dignity back!" She replied hotly. Sasuke smirked and continued walking. He heard the young Haruno's pace quicken up until she was beside him. He glanced over at her and couldn't help but notice how pale she was now. She had become jumpy around most guys, and strangers. She was even jumpy around HIM now!

He was pulled out of his thoughts when something warm encircled his arm. He glanced over to see Sakura hugging it tightly.

"I know this is a weird time to say this… but… thank you…"

Sasuke blinked. This was… random…

His surprised look quickly turned into a rare gentle smile. He gently pried her away from him and looked her in the eyes.

"You might wanna say that to Naruto and Kakashi as well though…" he chuckled. Sakura laughed. "But I promise I'll help no matter what."

It was shocking… he never would've realized it until now…

He would do ANYTHING for Sakura! It was hard enough just for his own mind to admit it. Even when he did admit it, it was still extremely hard to grasp…

Sakura meant a lot to him… as did Naruto… but Sakura was different. He didn't exactly know how… but he was certain about it.

Something was there that he didn't know about… or wasn't sure of at least… something about her made him…

"Sasuke?"

He blinked. "Sorry…" he said, rubbing his eyes. "Just thinking…"

Sakura nodded, knowing not to pry on his thoughts. Sasuke was like that. It was normal.

"Come on." He said, taking her hand in his. "Lets go."

And together they opened the doors, bracing themselves for their mission in the sand.

TBC…

Yes… FINALLY DONE! MUAHAHA!

Once again, I'm extremely busy. I'm working on my own webcomic along with school work and working on an Imadoki fanfic.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Club Creation

Okie… it took a while, but I managed to get through two poetry projects, a birthday party, and loads of other shit.

But HERE IT IS!

CHAPTER FIVE!

It's longer than I wanted, but yeah. It'll please you for a few more weeks. XP be happy damn you!

So here it is. Enjoy.

**Chapter 5: Club Creation**

Naruto grinned as he placed his chopsticks down. Knowing that Kakashi would be out of money soon, he knew he had to stop.

He needed money for ramen for the trip home, didn't he?

Kakashi sighed and paid the man. He had lightened up slightly, seeing as the ramen in this village was cheaper than the stuff back home.

"Don't worry, Kakashi!" he explained on the trip back. "When I'm Hokage, I can get ramen for free!"

"That makes me feel so much better…" He mumbled. "Knowing you, Ichiraku will be bankrupt in a week."

"No way!" he protested. "I'm going to force Sasuke-bastard to make it for me!"

Kakashi chuckled. "Oh I highly doubt that…"

"I'd have to agree with Kakashi."

Sasuke and Sakura took seats beside them. Sasuke noticed the bowls and Kakashi's wallet and asked with a sneer, "Leaving already?"

"Fortunately, yes." Kakashi sighed and quickly paid. Sakura giggled.

"Well Sasuke said he has a description of the man." She then explained. "I'm guessing he looks like Yamanaka-san, but a lot nastier…"

"He'll probably be in the pubs then." Sasuke added. "He's a flirt, so I think we should try later at night when it gets busy around here."

The other three nodded in agreement.

"I'm just going to buy a bowl of miso before going back." Sakura said. "You guys can go on without me." She smiled the sweetest smile she could muster. Sasuke frowned.

"Naruto, it's your turn to watch her." He said. Sakura scowled.

"Geez, Sasuke! You make it sound like watching over me is a chore!" She ran a hand through her hair. "I can take care of myself." She sighed. "You may not seem to realize it, but I've gotten stronger! I'm not that stupid little twelve year old you always knew!"

The three winced. They had hit a sore spot there.

"Smooth move, Sasuke." Naruto muttered. He turned and grinned at the kunoichi. "Of course I know that, Sakura!" he said smiling. "Sasuke here is too dense to notice anything."

He took her arm. "Come on. I'll treat you to ice cream!"

Kakashi scowled. "Hey! Are you saying you had your own money this time?" Naruto was down the street with Sakura before he could finish what he was saying. The Jounin sighed and turned towards Sasuke.

"You have a lot to learn about girls, Uchiha." He muttered. Sasuke glared.

"And when am I supposed to really stop to give a damn about them?"

"Well Naruto already did. You, Sasuke, are just too focused on training to stop and notice any of them. And your mind may be set on revenge, but your hormones have clearly kicked in and seemed to be drawn to a certain Haruno."

"Quit talking bullshit." The Uchiha muttered before heading back to the Kaze Kage's place. He stopped halfway there and rested under the shade of a building. As soon as his eyes closed, many thoughts and plans flashed through his head as he contemplated a decent strategy to find the man.

This man was a serious womanizer… and most likely a ninja as well. If he were able to smuggle things in and out of Konoha all the way to the Sand, he would need to have the stamina and speed to cover the area in a short period of time.

Knowing this, he would probably be able to spot any of Naruto's jutsu's in a matter of seconds…

He frowned, knowing what they'd have to do to lure him out…

They would need to use Sakura…

Sasuke sighed before standing up. He wasn't at all to happy with the idea, but it was the only way to get him away from everyone else. They needed to get him out without making a big scene… and Sakura was the best out of the three of them at hiding her chakara.

Life was a whole lot simpler before the weekend…

* * *

The room had become silent once Sasuke hesitantly explained the plan to them. Naruto had his eyes closed while Kakashi was gazing at Sasuke and Sakura intently. Sakura seemed to be contemplating the idea herself and he knew from instinct that she wasn't happy.

"I hate to admit it… but it's the only way…" Sakura murmured. Sasuke glanced over at her, slightly surprised by her reaction. Kakashi straightened up and fixed his gaze on her.

"Sakura, we'll all be there. We won't let anything happen to you."

"C-can one of you be there…" Sakura asked. "Close enough so that he doesn't do anything crazy?"

Naruto's eyes finally opened and he raised his hand. Sakura smiled at him. "I vote Sasuke!" he cried. The three of them gaped. There was silence for a moment, but Kakashi sighed and soon agreed.

"Sasuke will be good at stopping anything rash…" He added with a nod. Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, who sighed.

"Fine with me." He said as he stood up. The three of them watched him leave before turning back to each other.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. Sakura nodded.

"I want to get this guy too…" she said with a tense look. "And if I have to, I'll lure him out for you guys."

"Just be careful, Sakura." Naruto said gently. "This guy's a ninja."

"So am I." She countered with a grin. Naruto smiled before standing up.

"Maybe we should get you ready then." He said. "Temari might be able to help you."

Temari was now eighteen and stronger than ever. She still wore a fighter kimono, but had changed the colour to a light green. If Temari was good at anything besides fighting, it was wardrobe.

"I heard about what happened!" She said before hugging Sakura tightly. The two of them had become close companions over the years of training together along with Kankuro and Gaara. Sakura smiled at her and explained what was going to happen and Temari immediately volunteered to come with her. Things were soon arranged and the two began trying things on.

"Wow, Temari…" Sakura could only stop to admire her massive wardrobe. "I take it you've go to a lot of clubs?"

"Got that right!" She said with a wink. "Its something you'll learn to love when you turn eighteen." She laughed. "It's a good way to hide from my two brothers. There's no way that they would step foot in a place like that."

Sakura grinned and started filing through the wardrobe. As they searched, Sakura glanced out the window and saw Kakashi, Naruto, Gaara, and Sasuke talking. She sighed, feeling slightly left out from their mission.

"Knowing perverts I think we should go with the- huh?" Temari glanced over at Sakura, who was still looking outside.

"Sakura…?" She asked softly. Sakura sighed.

"Sometimes… I just don't feel like a member of that team anymore…" She explained. Temari nodded understandingly.

"They care for you, Sakura…" she said with a smile. "Never in my life would I have imagined seeing Sasuke act like he does around you now."

Sakura turned to her in question. Temari grinned.

"The great Uchiha Sasuke seems to have grown fond of you." She explained. Sakura glanced at Temari for another moment before turning to the window. The three had started to walk. Naruto turned on his heel suddenly and waved at Sakura with a wide grin. She could hear him calling her name faintly through the window and smiled. As she continued to watch, Sasuke's steps faltered and he turned to Naruto in both question and irritation. Naruto said something to the raven haired boy and pointed up towards them. Sasuke craned his head up and saw her. She wasn't sure if he smiled or not… seeing as his face wasn't as easily noticeable as Naruto's. But the friendly wave he sent to her was all she needed. Kakashi gestured a small greeting towards her and Gaara even looked up at them for a second before walking out of sight.

"They're like brothers… aren't they…" Temari said with a smile as Sakura waved back. "Who would think you could grow so close to people in a three-man cell…" She fixed her bangs as she spoke. "You know… Gaara… once you get to know him… he's a pretty interesting kid to talk to." Sakura smiled slightly, remembering her last battle with him and how he had nearly killed her.

Either way… he was helping her out now… right?

Temari started to laugh. "You should've seen his face when he came back from his walk." She pointed out. "His face was as red as his hair!"

Sakura felt herself blush slightly, but soon started laughing too. A blushing Gaara would truly be a priceless thing to see.

"Anyway… its almost five." She said. "We still have a few hours before going to find that man. Do you want to do anything?"

Sakura thought for a moment. A smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"I've got it!"

* * *

Gaara opened the door to the office, the three leaf nins following him in. They all froze when the scent of warm food reached their noses. Gaara glanced at his desk to see some Ten-Don sitting there along with some tea. He blinked and glanced over at the coffee table. At the far end was a bowl of Udon with tomato in it. On the near end was some Takoyaki and standing right in the center of the small table was a large steaming bowl of miso ramen.

The four of them hesitated and glanced at their designated foods. Beneath each bowl was a note. Kakashi got his first.

_Kakashi:_

_Thanks for helping out! We didn't know what food you liked… so we got you one of Temari's favourites._

_From Sakura and Temari_

Kakashi chuckled. Well Temari had taste. And he was grateful it was Takoyaki. It was a treat he hadn't had in months.

Smiling to himself, he took his tray and left the room. (Kakashi's secret shall not be revealed XD)

The next one to get the note was Gaara. He glanced at it quickly before flipping it over and sitting down. Sasuke took this as a sign of respect towards them. He didn't bother tossing it out, right?

He sighed to himself before looking at his note.

_Sasuke:_

_I already said this earlier…but thanks for all you have done to help me. I know you like tomatoes, so here's a treat for you!_

_From Sakura._

The Uchiha couldn't help but smile at her actions. He glanced over at Naruto, who read the note with utter concentration. He then grinned and pocketed it.

"Wow, Sakura and Temari are extremely generous today!" He exclaimed with a grin. He sat down and picked up the chopsticks in front of him. Using his arm, he pulled the bowl closer to him and began to eat. Sasuke rolled his eyes and glanced at Gaara, who had already started eating one of the prawns.

Sighing to himself, he glanced down at the tomato udon.

Sakura, you idiot…

She always did things like this… it made him feel guilty.

He sat down and lifted up his chopsticks. Well he did mention that she should say thanks… and this was a good way to show it.

He could let it slide just this once…

* * *

It was now time. Sakura, Sasuke, and Temari sat on one of the store benches, waiting for their kill. There were plenty of people outside at this time, but none of them matching their statistics.

You didn't see many men with blonde hair tied up…

At first, Sasuke would have guessed Ino's dad. But Yamanaka wouldn't do anything like that. Other than missions, he never left Konoha.

He sighed and messed with the earphone he had been given. Sasuke had reluctantly agreed to go in with Sakura and Temari in case of an emergency. He had shed his Uchiha shirt and replaced it with a simple black one. Sakura and Temari had indeed changed too. Temari had let her hair down in order to avoid attention. She was, after all, the Kaze-Kage's sister. She wore an olive green fighter kimono with darker green lilies scattered here and there. Sakura had also gotten something a little skimpier, but still fairly easy to move around in.

Sasuke smirked to himself when he saw her. He could tell she was still a little shy about it. Because of the red halter, she wore mesh over her exposed stomach and some going halfway down her legs. Her pose when she came out of the room resembled that of Hinata. She dropped her gaze at their stares and her cheeks became red. Temari quickly walked over and patted her back, telling her to relax.

He glanced over to see the one club to their left open its doors to the people lining up. He turned to face the one across from them. This club was called 'Creation' and had an indigo light radiating from the neon signs. He frowned at the name. Creation? What's with all these weird club names? The only thing created there are drinks and babies.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and looked at the street again. His eyes, which once showed a sign of annoyance turned into that of surprise.

There, right before him, was the man that they had described. He had long blonde… no… platinum hair tied down near his neck. Long, wispy bangs fell over his face, which he flicked away with his hands. He wore a long coat that fell to his ankles and flapped behind him. The coat was left open, revealing a mesh shirt and some black pants. He carried a metal suitcase in one hand while his other one hung at his side.

That HAD to be him!

Sakura and Temari had noticed too. Their eyes followed him into the line for club Creation. Pushing on the small button on the earpiece, he spoke into the speaker hidden behind his bangs.

"Sasuke here." He said quietly. "We think we've found him. He's heading into Club creation."

"That blue one?" Naruto's voice asked. Temari took over.

"Yup." She said. "Gaara, have you found anything out on him?"

"His name's Shojin Hikone." He said after a moment of pause. "I've gotten some of his files. He comes every month and stays for a week… and if I'm not mistaken, this is his last night here."

Sakura bit her lip. "Can you describe his picture?" She asked.

"Bright blonde hair… tied at the neck… grey eyes… there's no mistaking him." He replied.

"That has to be him, then…" Sasuke muttered. "Kakashi," he said, "you, Kankuro and Naruto get over here."

Kakashi responded quietly. Gaara then spoke again.

"I'm coming now."

"Stay in the shadows." Sasuke replied. "This mission is going to be a lot harder than we thought."

There was a small noise at the other end and Gaara cut off the transmission. Sasuke removed the headphones and pocketed it. They had shed their hitai-ate long ago in order to hide their identities. They rushed over to the line and stood two places behind Hikone, who seemed to be flirting with the girl in front of him.

"Here." Temari handed them cards. "Show these to the man at the front and you'll get in free."

Sasuke took his card and read it quickly.

_Club Creation_

_VIP Pass_

There were some other bits here and there, but he ignored the unnecessary parts and stuffed it in his pocket as they waited. Sakura, who stood to his left, was still reading the card. He glanced down to see the card shaking. No… it wasn't the card… it was Sakura that was shaking.

"How sad…" She whispered, knowing that Sasuke noticed her trembling hands. "I'm… almost scared…"

Sasuke sighed and turned her to him.

"Scared? Don't be stupid." He told her. "You've been through tougher things than this! Get a grip, Sakura! You could beat the living shit out of any guy that tried to touch you!"

Sakura looked down at her feet, her eyes veiling over. Sasuke was right. She couldn't freak out over some blonde smuggler.

But then again… he was a ninja…

And his power could exceed theirs… right?

But Sasuke was there… and so was Temari.

She smiled. "You're right." She said, lifting her head up. "This is just like any other mission." Sasuke smirked and Temari chuckled to herself. They turned to see Hikone enter through the door with the girl. A few more seconds passed and they came up. All three lifted their VIP cards to the man at the front before he could speak. He nodded and let them walk in to the strangely lighted room before them.

It was here they would start. It was here that they would search to find the ones that hurt Sakura.

And they wouldn't stop till they found them all.

TBC…

Yeah… for those of you that also read **'Not Your Fight Anymore'**, I have news.

**IT AIN'T OVER!**

Its gonna continue. Nobody would be as stupid as to end it there before a good fight!

Also.

Star Ocean Lubbers, I am making a Christmas fic for you! It'll come out before the weekend!

For now, I shall sleep. I sure as hell need it! Damn cold…

Now off to read the DA VINCI CODE! (lubbles the book)

now THAT is a book i'd reccomend!


	6. The Race Begins

You guys are NUTS! Only five chapters and TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS ALREADY! I'm not sure if I should pass out from shock or what…

I managed to read from halfway though to three quarters through the DaVinci Code in one night. I feel special.

Anyways… Here's the long awaited chapter six. Bit more cuteness in here. Hope you like!

**Chapter 6: The Race Begins**

"Hinata?"

Neji had been wandering around the property of their home aimlessly when he noticed her nestled in a tree reading by herself. Her white eyes moved down to face him when she heard his voice and soon lit up with recognition.

"Oh! H-hi Neji." She smiled. Neji jumped up into the tree. He hadn't spoken to his cousin in a while… nor had she come for afternoon tea lately… so why not visit her?

"Aren't you supposed to be with Naruto?" he asked as he got comfortable. Hinata shook her head.

"Team seven was sent to the S-sand." She replied. "The k-kaze kage wanted to speak with them." Neji pondered over this. Why would Gaara want to speak with them? And out of the blue for that matter…

"Was it a mission?" he asked.

"N-no… he wanted to speak with them immediately… I don't know why…"

"Could they be in trouble for something?"

"N-not that I can think of…"

He nodded. "I guess we'll find out in a matter of time…"

"NEJI!"

Tenten appeared before them, hanging upside down in the branches. Neji nearly lost his balance, but quickly regained it.

"What are you doing here, Tenten?" He asked sharply. Tenten had always been one to waltz in at the strangest times.

"I heard from Shino who heard from Kiba who heard from Ino who heard from Shikamaru who heard from Temari that Sakura was illegally put in the swimsuit issue of Icha-Icha Paradise!"

It took a moment for him to register what she had said. He blinked once, twice then figured it out.

"What!"

Tenten sighed. "I SAID-" Neji covered her mouth.

"I heard you." He said calmly. Tenten flushed and apologized under his hand. Sighing, he removed his palm from her mouth.

"Why would Sakura do something like that?" Neji then asked. "She's not the most… open girl."

"S-she didn't choose to…" Hinata piped up. Tenten nodded.

"Someone took pictures of her that day when we went to the beach. They still don't know who it is."

Neji paused. "So the stampede of men…" They nodded. "How did she outrun them?"

"Sasuke helped." Hinata replied. "I s-saw them when I was with N-Naruto."

"That must be why they went to the sand…" Neji muttered. "Because it spread to the other villages too…"

"Illegal cracks from what I heard." Tenten muttered as she took her seat between the two Hyuuga's. Hinata glanced up.

"W-well since they're gone… and w-we don't have any missions…" She started. Tenten grinned, getting the idea.

"Let's get ourselves into the mess too!" She exclaimed. Neji frowned, not that fond of the idea.

"You two can go. I'll pass." He said. Tenten glared.

"Neji!" She cried. "How could you be so careless? They're DEFILING our friend here!"

"It's not my problem." He replied calmly. "It's Team 7's."

"Well imagine Hinata in Sakura's position."

Neji paused for a moment, imagining his poor cousin in that position. They were right. It wasn't fair… it was sick.

"Okay I'll help you." He growled. "Just don't do anything too drastic, okay?" The two nodded, smiles on both their faces.

"Great!" Tenten cried. "Now all we need to do is keep this from Lee or he'll-"

"SAKURA!"

Lee barged through the trees, tears streaming down his face. "The beautiful Haruno Sakura has been TAINTED by horrible MEN!" he cried. Their mouths dropped open.

"She was RAPED!"

Lee blinked through the tears. "No… she was put in…" He bit his lip.

"The magazine…" Hinata sighed in relief.

"You had us worried there, Lee." Tenten scowled. "Besides, the man would have to be pretty damn powerful to hold Sakura down that long."

Neji chuckled. "Far worse a fate is in store for the man that took the pictures." He pointed out. "Imagine the state he'll be in when they find him."

Lee looked up. "You mean you already knew?"

"Of course." Tenten said. "We didn't want to worry you… because you'd do something crazy…"

"… like tear down half the forest just to tell us the news…" Neji finished, glancing at the huge path he had created. He sighed and leapt down.

"You'd better replant these trees, Lee." He said in a dark voice. "Or my uncle might not be too happy with what he finds." Lee looked over his shoulder and saw the destruction he had created.

"I'm sorry, Neji!" He said, bowing respectfully. Neji frowned.

"What did I tell you about bowing to me?"

"Not to do it!" he cried, straightening himself out again. "Sorry again, Neji! I'll go to work now!"

The three watched as Lee ran off into the distance. Tenten laughed.

"Lee sure is a determined guy…" She grinned. Neji nodded in agreement.

"Its no surprise that he got to where he is now." He replied. Hinata nodded.

"So where should we start?" Tenten soon asked.

"W-well Naruto's team went t-to see Jiraiya about it…" Hinata explained. "They were called to t-the sand the next day though…"

Tenten nodded in understanding. "Okay. Let's start there." She turned to Neji. "Coming?"

The Hyuuga sighed. "Why not? I have nothing better to do."

* * *

Sasuke blinked a couple times as his eyes adjusted to the bluish hue of the room. The sound of loud music blasted into his ears and the vibrations from the bass rumbled at his feet. Lights flashed everywhere. He instinctively moved and caught Sakura's arm as some random girl started to walk up to him. Once the woman saw this action, she quickly turned towards the bar to get herself a drink. Temari came up on the other side of Sasuke and frowned down at the building.

"Ugh… I've seen better clubs in alleyways." She muttered. "Too blue for my taste. A little colour would be decent too."

Sasuke hated to admit it, but he agreed. Even Naruto would be hard to distinguish in this blue light.

Well at least nobody could recognize Sakura…

Turning to his left, he glanced at the young kunoichi, whose now aquamarine eyes were still adjusting to the light. Her pink hair was now an odd looking purple and her clothes had turned an unrecognizable hue. She glanced down at herself and then up at Sasuke, her face turning into a small scowl.

"Why do you get to look normal in the blue light?" she whined. Sasuke smirked. Sure enough, his blue and black clothing had changed little in the light despite his skin now resembling Kisame. He leaned closer as a man walked by and whispered, "Too bad…" before dragging her further in. As they entered, the music got louder and the area a little more cramped. Temari was behind them, scanning the area for any signs of Hikone.

"He's probably in the VIP area…" She told them. Sasuke and Sakura nodded and followed her to the back of the room. She opened a glass door and motioned them to go inside. They traveled up a short set of stairs and around another bend to find a large, circular room. This room, unlike the one below them, was much quieter and had some decent lighting. A long red couch lined the right side of the room and on the left were full-length windows viewing the dance room below. Tables for two and three were seated on the left side touching the windows and another door sat at the far end. People chatted happily, pleased to have their own drinks brought up to them and for having a quieter night than the ones downstairs. Hikone sat on the couch talking to another man of his ranking. He didn't seem to notice the three newcomers that had just arrived. A couple girls glanced over at Sasuke in interest, winking at him or sending over a smile. Men glanced over at Sakura and Temari, some quickly dismissing them while others gawked at the sight. Small whispers started going through the room, eventually leading up to Hikone, who finally turned his piercing gaze towards her. Sakura took a deep breath before looking back. This man was oddly attractive… he didn't appear to be older than twenty five. A small smile appeared on his thin lips as he stood up and walked over.

"You look strikingly familiar…" He said, looking down at her. "By any chance… is your name Haruno Sakura?"

She tensely nodded to him, a sweet smile immediately appearing on her face. Hikone's eyes glinted with interest.

"Well I must say, Haruno-san… I've been wanting to meet you for a while now…" And with that, he led her away, leaving Sasuke and Temari behind totally stunned.

"Want drinks?" Temari asked. Sasuke nodded and took a seat. He glanced over at Sakura who was now talking to Hikone in a relaxed fashion.

She was good… really good…

He scowled over at Hikone as Temari sat down across from him, placing a drink beside his head.

"I made sure they were non-alcoholic." She said as she messed with the twizzle stick. Sasuke muttered a thanks as he lifted his head. Temari glanced down at him and frowned.

"What the hell is up with you?" She asked hotly. "Sakura's okay. She can handle herself."

"I know…" Sasuke growled, resting a head on his hand. "She's just being… too happy about it…" He looked over to see Hikone pull the traditional yawn and stretch tactic to pull Sakura closer to him. "This guy's an idiot…"

Temari blinked, realization dawning on her. "Oh quit acting so jealous. It makes you look pathetic."

Sasuke spun around to face her. "What?" Temari smirked.

"Don't act stupid, Sasuke…" She replied, taking a sip of her drink. "You don't like Hikone because he's moving in on your girl."

"Shut up." He shot back. "Hikone could lead us directly to the people that hurt Sakura."

"Well technically they didn't 'hurt' her…"

"They put her in a porn magazine. How would you feel?"

"Well how would you know how she felt?"

"Because I'm her team mate and I care for her!"

"Exactly."

Sasuke froze. Damn… she had tricked him. "Cheap trick…" He muttered, taking a drink. Temari chuckled.

"You said it yourself. I simply helped you out."

Sasuke sighed and twirled the twizzle stick around in his drink, watching the bubbles slowly rise to fizz at the surface. "I can't help it… I've known her since we were in the academy together… not that I really cared back then…"

"What was Sakura like back then?"

"Weak." He replied flatly. He paused. "Weak but smart…" He resisted smiling to himself. "Almost a genius when it came to genjutsu…"

"But…" Temari took another sip of her drink.

"She was… beaten a lot…" He murmured. "I'd always see her at the park alone… bloody… beaten… broken… both physically and mentally…" He paused. "She was always… crying…"

Temari nodded in understanding and glanced over at the kunoichi. "She really likes you, Sasuke…"

"I know…" He thought back to where she admitted her love to him. Had it really been that long? He turned to see Hikone stand up, pulling Sakura up gracefully alongside him. He whispered something in her ear, and she giggled as he led her out the opposite door. Sasuke and Temari didn't wait for the door to close. Sasuke downed his drink quickly and slammed it against the table. He turned on the earphones hiding under his bangs. "They're on the move." He said before he and Temari rushed after them.

* * *

"Got it…"

Gaara stood up after hearing the request. He didn't know how long he had been waiting, but it was long enough to test his patience.

"Where are you?" he then asked. Temari was the one that answered.

"we're going down a set of stairs… extremely dark… and from the curvature of the walls, we're going downwards counterclockwise."

"Where does it lead?" Sasuke then asked. There was a pause on the other end.

"I'm not sure… it seems to go out to the back…" he replied, quickly scanning the blueprints. "All that's out there are…"

"Alleys." Sasuke muttered. "We need Naruto and Kakashi out there at the one end, Kankuro at the other. You should go overhead to block any escape to the rooftops."

Gaara thought it over. It was probably the best idea to box him in. they didn't know his full powers just yet. And they didn't have enough time to contact Tsunade for any helpful information.

"Waitaminute…" Sasuke suddenly said. "How'd he get out the door so fast?"

Gaara looked at the blueprints once again, his eyes widening in realization. "Speed…"

"What?" Temari asked.

"Speed. That's his strength. That's how he's able to get from Konoha to the Sand so quickly!"

"But Sakura wouldn't follow that fast would she?"

"I don't think she's just following him anymore…"

Sasuke cursed on the other end. "Great, so where did they go?"

"They just passed us!" Naruto cried. "Kakashi's giving chase! They're headed west towards the outskirts of the village!"

"I'll be there soon." Gaara said. There was a whirl of sand and he was gone.

* * *

"Where are we going, Hikone?" Sakura asked over his shoulder. The man chuckled as he sped across the rooftops.

"A nice little place I like to stay sometimes…" He replied. "So, Sakura… have any friends?"

Her eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?"

"The two people you came in with… I know that you weren't just here for some fun… You're too young for that…"

Sakura's teeth clenched. "You… bastard…" She tightened her hold on Hikone's shoulders, causing him to laugh.

"You fool, I know who you are… and I know about the inhuman strength you have… don't think that I never come prepared." He pulled out a small empty syringe. "This serum is used on missions to remove the strength of a ninja to the point where they can't move. Because you are so powerful, you've simply been reduced to a weak, defenseless little girl…"

"No…" Sakura stared in horror. "W-what do you want from me!" She cried. She hadn't felt this weak in a long time.

"Nothing much…"

They stopped in front of a large warehouse beside some forgotten park. The building was clearly quite old and had rust stains here and there. Graffiti had been painted along the walls. He dragged her to the door and pushed her inside. The room was dank and musty, the only light that entered was from the window at the far side.

"Looks like nobody's been here for a while…" he muttered to himself. "Looks like some sand got in here too…"

Sakura glanced around and down at the sand. As she watched, it began to shift. She frowned. But… where was the breeze?

She looked down again and saw the sand begin to indent.

LOOK UP.

She craned her neck to see Gaara watching from the ceiling. He placed a finger to his lips in order to quiet her. Sakura nodded and turned back to Hikone.

"This, dear Sakura… is my hideout…" He explained. "This is where we hid our stash of anything illegal… weapons… scrolls… porn… you name it."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Then why bring me here?"

"I've got some… friends that would be interested in you…" He explained as he pulled out an expensive looking cell phone.

"W-who are they?" She then asked. Hikone glanced over. "Are they smugglers like you?" the older man chuckled and nodded.

"Yes… all of them helping with selling pictures of your wonderful body…" Sakura shivered, taking a step away. Why did he have to drain all her strength and chakara? Damn it! She glanced up at Gaara who looked at her in question. He knew her strength, but he didn't know why she wasn't using it. She bit her lip and glanced up at him in apology. She turned to Hikone, who had started to punch in numbers on the phone.

That was it. Strength or no strength, he wasn't going to get away with this!

"BASTARD!" She cried, jumping at him and snatching the phone away. She tossed it in the air towards Gaara, who caught it quickly. Then, pulling out a shuriken, he dropped it to the ground to replace for the clattering. Hikone snarled and caught her in a head lock, twisting one of her arms back as she used the other one to try and free herself from his choke-hold.

"Do you want me to drug you again?" He asked. "Any more and you'd be on the ground, free for me to do whatever I want!" His grip tightened on her and a smirk spread on his face. "Although… I must admit… that's not a bad idea…"

* * *

Sasuke stood outside the door, hearing everything that Hikone spoke through Gaara's end of the transmission. He had drugged her… that explained it… He closed his eyes as he tried to keep the rage inside him calm.

"Go." Gaara suddenly said. Sasuke's eyes opened in question.

"What?"

"You heard, me, Uchiha."

He glanced over at Tenten on his left, who nodded to him. He sighed in relief and tested the doorknob. Locked. He sighed. "Typical…" He muttered, jerking the door off. He rushed inside to see Hikone raising the syringe to plunge it into her thigh. He froze and glanced over at the intruder.

"You…" He bit out as he turned to face the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Hikone…" He drawled. He glanced over at Sakura, whose eyes were wide in fear. Hikone smirked and twirled the syringe in his hands. "Do you know what this is?" He asked. Sasuke glared.

"It's a paralyzing serum." He replied hesitantly. Hikone nodded.

"Correct." He replied with a smirk. "Usually, one bottle of this would keep someone defenseless for hours… but in your friend's case…" In one quick movement, he injected Sakura with the serum, hearing her cry out once before going limp. "… she needs two." Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at the fearful look left on her face.

"Sakura!" he cried, dashing towards her. Hikone laughed and let her fall into Sasuke's arms.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" Hikone said slowly as he turned to face him. "Why don't we have a little competition?" Sasuke frowned, recognizing the tone of voice he was using. "A battle…"

"What kind?" he asked cautiously. Hikone smirked.

"A simple fight… winner keeps Sakura…"

Sasuke glared. "Like hell I'd do that!" He spat. Hikone chuckled.

"I had a feeling you'd say that…"

The next thing Sasuke knew, Hikone was before him, holding a third syringe to Sakura's throat. "This last dose would be fatal to her… you realize that right?" Sasuke's scowl only deepened.

"You wouldn't do that... she's worth too much."

"Who said she'd die?" Hikone said with a grin. "She'd be perfectly alive… her body perfectly preserved… no need for nutrients… she'd be like a priceless doll, Sasuke…"

Sasuke still didn't seem pleased. "If I win, I take her alive… this will wear off in a day or so… or…" He pressed the needle to Sakura's throat. Sasuke gulped, his bangs shielding his face.

"Where do we fight?"

TBC…

* * *

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN…. FINALLY FINISHED! What ever is keeping Naruto and Kakashi? And what shall Team Gai and Hinata find? Why do I sound like a freaking retard as I say this? Will I ever stop? Do I need sugar?

FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER!


	7. Worry

Okie… Finally updated. Sorry for the wait people!

SPOILER WARNING IN HERE! I'm sorry but I had to put in the new character. It was driving me mad. But don't kill me for doing it! I'm making it more realistic! I dunno if he dies or not! I'm only on chapter 294! And that's as far as it got for now! RAAR!

If ya don't wanna know the character, when you see the scene with Tenten freaking out at Lee and calling him an idiot, skip over that scene and go to the next. Simple enough?

And people wanted to know the ages of the characters:

Naruto – 16/almost 17

Sakura – 16

Sasuke – 17

You get the idea. I wanted Sakura to be a little more 'mature' for this plot and I wanted Sasuke to be trusted again. That would take years for Konoha, so here you have it.

**Chapter 7: Worry**

Hikone and Sasuke stood facing one another in the dingy warehouse. Gray eyes clashed with raven and not a sound could be heard.

Hikone chuckled and shed his trench coat, revealing black attire that consisted of mesh, leather and buckles. The clothing contrasted with his pale blonde hair which was still tied back in an almost graceful way.

Sasuke shot the older man the most despicable look that could be mustered from an Uchiha. Sakura was propped up at the far side of the room facing the fighting area while Gaara stayed hidden in the ceiling beams above them. Neither Kakashi or Naruto had arrived yet and still no word had come from Kankuro.

Hikone chuckled, his silvery eyes flashing with malice. "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke growled as his eyes became their piercing red. "Anytime…"

And then Hikone was gone. Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. So THIS was the speed that Gaara had warned them about. He was even faster than Lee!

It would take a while to actually predict his actions… Sasuke knew this well. He glanced around quickly, giving the area a fleeting glance before ducking as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Sure enough, a fist flew over the direction where his head once was. He glanced up and smirked. Was this all he had to offer? With a twist of his body, he swung his legs out and tripped the blonde man, sending him to the ground. Hikone grunted as his hands made contact with the floor and flipped himself upright.

"Not bad, Uchiha…" he mused as he glanced over his shoulder. Sasuke stood up, his black hair falling into his eyes. Before he realized what had happened, Hikone whipped out a short bladed katana and swung it at him. He just barely dodged, but escaped with a small cut to his cheek. Sasuke smirked and whipped out his own weapon of choice: the Windmill Shuriken and spun it out into full bloom. He ducked another blow from the katana and slashed the blades at Hikone's leg. The blonde man winced and took a step back, keeping the now injured leg away from his attacker. Sasuke jumped back as the sword swung down once more and jumped again as a shuriken aimed for his torso flew towards him. Sasuke stood up from his crouched pose and chuckled.

"Is this the best you can do, Shojin?" he drawled. "I knew kids when I was TWELVE that could move faster than you." Hikone smirked.

"You haven't seen anything, Uchiha."

Sasuke spun around, swinging his foot out to trip the older man. His eyes could only widen in shock when he felt nothing. He looked over towards Sakura, relieved that he hadn't appeared there either.

"Pretty thing isn't she…" said a voice behind him. Sasuke turned to elbow him, but found nothing but air. He could hear Hikone's laughter as Sasuke swung another punch at him, only to find him gone again.

"She's beautiful… perfect form…" he dodged another kick. "Perfect shape…" A kunai flies past the area where his head once was. "And that perfectly innocent look…" Another deep chuckle rang through the room, making Sasuke cringe in disgust. "I wonder if she's as innocent as they make her out to be…"

That was it. Shojin had crossed the line. Sasuke's eyes were shut tight and his teeth were clenched.

"You sick BASTARD!" Sasuke cried, his eyes snapping open to reveal the Sharingan. Hikone's movements had slowed down for him now. He glanced up at Gaara quickly, who nodded and vanished.

He just needed a little more time…

* * *

Tsunade opened an eye when she heard a knock on the door. She called them in, arching an eyebrow when she saw who entered.

"Hyuuga Neji?" she blinked. "And Hinata too…" She smiled wearily, lifting cup of tea to her lips. "What can I do for you?"

"We want to help out with Sakura's problem."

Both Neji and Hinata were fortunate that they were far enough away. Tsunade choked and tea sprayed out of her mouth. Neji gave Tsunade a blank look while Hinata looked sort of bewildered by the Hokage's actions.

"Uhh… T-Tsunade-sama?" Hinata piped up. "Are y-you okay?"

Tsunade coughed a bit and nodded. "Yes…" she managed to say. "Are you sure you want to?" both of them nodded.

"Lee and Tenten are outside waiting as well." Tsunade winced as Lee's name was said. "Don't worry, Tsunade. He's better now."

The fifth nodded in understanding. "So what did he destroy?" she asked. Neji hesitated.

"I think its best we get back to the subject at hand." He replied. Tsunade nodded.

"So… Haruno Sakura?" both Hyuugas nodded. "Well… I want to have another look at the publishing records… maybe you can do that for me."

The door suddenly burst open and Lee leapt in, Tenten literally hanging on to his ankles in order to restrain him. "Anything for Sakura!" he cried his eyes ablaze with emotion. Neji glared and put his hands on Lee's shoulders and began to push him out of the room.

"We'll get to that now, Tsunade." He grunted as he finally got the green beast through the doorway. "We'll report to you if anything comes up." There was one last cry from Lee and a shriek from Tenten before Hinata stepped through the doorway and bowed politely before sliding the door shut.

* * *

"Idiot!" Tenten snapped, causing Lee to wince. "You don't burst through the door in front of the Hokage like that! Hell, you don't burst through the door in front of ANYONE like that!"

Neji sighed and placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder. "Let him be." He said calmly. Tenten huffed, but obliged.

"I'm sorry Tenten, Neji, Hinata…" He said quietly. "But my fears of what people have done to Sakura make me…" Tenten sighed and shook her head.

"If we're going to see the publishers, you can be the distraction. The rest of us will be the stealth." She glanced over at Hinata and smiled, earning a small smile back from the silent Hyuuga.

"I'm surprised that through all this hell, not one of the members of Team 7 managed to get a chance to look in the publishing studios." Tenten frowned. Neji glanced over and nodded.

"It does seem a bit odd…"

"T-then again… they w-were called away immediately after…" Hinata piped up.

"And in the end we're left with a mess…" Lee finished.

"I can only help but feel bad for Sakura…" Tenten sighed. "I would hate to be in her shoes right now…"

"What's this I'm hearing about Sakura?"

The four shinobi looked down the hall to see a lone figure clad in black walking towards them. His eyes scanned over the small group and a tiny smile reached his lips.

"Sai…" Neji said as he stood up to face the other teen. Sai smirked, his drawing hand absentmindedly fidgeting as if longing to be used. "What brings you here?"

"I was summoned." He replied flatly. "Tsunade wished to see me about something important. She has yet to explain my use." Neji frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the door.

"Something tells me you're here for the same reason we were." He said as he turned back to the raven-haired boy. The boys likeness to Uchiha Sasuke irked Neji in a way, but he did not mention it in front of him. Sai flicked his now shaggy hair out of his eyes and placed a hand on his hip.

"So what's this I'm hearing about my old teammate?" he finally asked.

"Tsunade will explain to you." Neji said quietly, brushing past the lean boy. "I suggest you go inside. She's waiting for you."

"Whatever you say." Was the only reply he got. He heard the door slide open followed by three sets of advancing feet as the rest caught up with him.

"His likeness to Sasuke never ceases to astound me…" he heard Lee say. "Sometimes I wonder if it's actually his sister!" He heard Tenten choke and Hinata's muffled squeak. He, himself had to force himself to contain his laughter at Lee's words.

"Let's just go…" he said, not letting anyone see his smile.

* * *

"Pathetic!"

Sasuke snarled and spun around, taking a kick at Shojin. He just barely grazed the older man's head as he bent back. Hikone smirked.

"What? No weapons?" he taunted. Sasuke glared.

"Well if you'd stop using Sakura as a shield, I might just try and fight."

It was true. Hikone had taken a liking in standing in front of Haruno Sakura to avoid any long range attacks from the raven-haired shinobi. Hikone frowned and flicked his hair aside.

"It sounds to me like you're calling me low…" Hikone drawled. "But one must play dirty when it comes to winning such a valuable prize."

"WHAT DID HE SAY!" Naruto cried on the other end of the speaker. Sasuke winced. He had forgotten to take out the earphones. "I swear to god I will beat the living SHIT out of him when I get there!"

"Shut up, Naruto." Kankuro growled. "It's that warehouse right over there."

Sasuke smirked. "Be lucky I'm not Naruto." He said. "He'll give you a fight to remember for saying that."

Hikone quirked an eyebrow. "You mean that fox from the leaf?" he laughed.

"Damn right!"

The door burst open to reveal a very irritated blonde shinobi. Hikone looked over in surprise as Naruto pointed a finger at him. "You hurt my friend! I will never forgive you!"

Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. Same old Naruto. At least his entrance wasn't too overdramatic. He glanced over towards the spot where Sakura lay to find her gone.

"Don't worry. I have her." Gaara's voice reassured. "Finish Hikone off and bring him back."

Sasuke glanced over to see that Naruto had already begun to fight with Hikone. "I don't think you'll need to worry about that." He finally said. "Naruto, we need him alive."

"Does it have to be in one piece?" Kakashi asked as he walked in, Kankuro following close behind.

"Keep his voice box in at the least." He said. Hikone dodged another one of Naruto's attacks and laughed.  
"You're pathetic, Uchiha!" He cried. "Do you really care about that whore enough to walk away from a fight and leave a little fox as your replacement?"

He wasn't sure what happened, but something inside him snapped. The pain on his neck began to pulse and his eyes became dangerously narrow. His thirst for blood grew even more as his gaze locked on Shojin's face.

"Never…" He said darkly, turning around to face the offender. "NEVER call my friends those things!"

There was a cry of pain and a sickening crack as Sasuke sped forward, grabbing his wrist and snapping it under his hold. He then took the man's head and sent him backwards into the steel wall. Hikone cried out in pain as he stumbled to his feet. Blood trickled down his face and the back of his neck and a crazed grin spread over his face.

"Fool…" he breathed. "Do you seriously believe that your little Sakura will be the same by the time this is over?" he began to laugh. "Sakura will end up in situations that you couldn't possibly imagine…" he grinned. "She will be a toy to them. A beautiful… delicious toy…"

His words ended there as Sasuke grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Red eyes were glazed with bloodlust and clenched teeth seemed to grow into fangs.

"Sakura is not yours!" he snarled, his hand becoming tighter on his neck. The feeling of stress against the vertebrae became great and small pops rang through his ears. He was going to enjoy this man's death… and nobody was going to stop him.

"Sasuke no!"

A firm hand grabbed his wrist. Sasuke released his hold a bit and glared at Naruto.

"Don't kill him." The blonde pleaded. "We need to use him to get more information!  
"There are plenty more where that came from!" the Uchiha shot back. "This prick deserves to die!"

"I know that." Naruto said sternly, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's. "But…" A grin spread over his face. "There's more than one way to get revenge…"

Sasuke looked over at Hikone, whose face was beginning to show shades of blue. "I guess this will keep him still for the time being…" he mumbled as he dropped Hikone to the ground. Naruto grinned and gave Sasuke a good hard pat on the back. Sasuke let his eyes return to their normal colour and the throbbing pain on his neck immediately stopped. Kakashi walked over and glanced down at the man that now lay stunned on the ground.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not carrying him back."

* * *

Gaara's eyes opened as he heard the door close. Naruto had made a couple bunshins who dragged Hikone in with a rope. Sasuke walked in looking absolutely murderous, Kakashi looked a little tired and Naruto looked annoyed.

"So he's alive?" he asked. Sasuke snorted and glared at the man on the ground.

"Unfortunately, yes." He muttered. Naruto scowled.

"He nearly snapped his head off." He added. "I can't blame him though… after what he said about Sakura…"

Gaara nodded in understanding, already knowing what he had said. "Sakura's in the next room over there." He said, pointing towards another sliding door. "I'm sure you'll want to see her. She's beginning to get her voice back, but still can't move her limbs." Sasuke nodded and headed to the door immediately. Kakashi glanced over at Naruto when the blonde ninja made no move to follow.

"Aren't you going to see her?" he asked. Naruto shook his head.

"I think she and Sasuke need some alone time." He replied, scratching the back of his head lazily. Kakashi smiled at Naruto's maturity in the situation.

"Do you want some ramen then?" The Jounin inquired. Naruto grinned.

"Sure! But… just one bowl though… I'm still full from the meal Sakura and Temari made us." Kakashi chuckled.

"Let's go then."

* * *

Sasuke closed the door silently behind him and let his eyes adjust to the darkly lit room. The only light that shone was from the moon, giving the room a soft, hazy glow. Sakura lay on the bed, her eyes closed and breathing softly. Sasuke pulled up a chair from the desk near the foot of her bed and set it at her bedside. He sat down and looked at her with a solemn gaze. Her face looked pale in the soft light and the right side of her face seemed to shine even more as it faced the moon. Pink hair was now slightly paler, but looked beautiful as it was sprawled out on the pillow. Sasuke couldn't help but admire these features as he took his seat beside her.

"I'm sorry…" He breathed. Sakura's face scrunched up a bit and her eyes opened as she turned her head to face him.

"Sasuke?" she mumbled. "What are you…?"

Sasuke let a small smile appear on his face. "We beat him." He replied. Sakura smiled a bit.

"Sorry that I worried you…" she said quietly. "I think he spiked my drink with that stuff…" a lock of hair fell over her face, causing her to frown. She shifted a bit and tried to blow it away, but failed miserably. Sasuke bent over her and brushed it away himself, leaving them both a small shade of pink.

"Well nobody was expecting it…" He replied quietly. "Don't trouble yourself." Sakura sighed and turned her head to the ceiling.

"I haven't felt this weak since the academy…" she finally said. Sasuke blinked and looked down at her quizzically. "I could never fend for myself back then… I was just the brains of the class… right?" Sasuke frowned at her words.

"Sakura… things like that take time and practice… I'm sure you know that…"

"It took me too long to learn." She replied darkly. She turned her head again to face him. "I'm sure you remember how I could barely do a thing before… I was beaten to a bloody pulp at least three times a week if I was lucky."

"Shut up!"

Sasuke stood up, now towering over her. His glare made Sakura feel even more vulnerable as he placed his hands at either side of her head. He bent down so that his face was now much closer to hers. His bangs swept across her forehead and a small tingling sensation spread through him.

"You're not like that anymore…" he breathed, causing Sakura to shiver. He felt her breath on his face as he knelt closer. Their noses were now touching and he swore he could hear Sakura's heart beating like mad as she looked up at him in shock. He himself was having problems keeping his pulse under control.

"Hey, Sakura!" Temari called as she opened the door. "I brought you some… oh…" She watched in amusement as Sasuke quickly straightened himself up and Sakura turned her head away in embarrassment. "Whoa… sorry…" She laughed nervously. "I really didn't think you were in here, Sasuke." Sasuke glared as he tried to force down the blush on his face. "I'll just… go…"

The door quickly closed, leaving both Sasuke and Sakura in an uncomfortable situation.

"So… when are we…" Sakura began.

"Going home?" Sasuke finished. "In a day or so… but we need some more information from Hikone." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Well don't worry about me…" She finally said. "I'll be alright."

Sasuke couldn't help but frown as the smile on Sakura's face spread. He knew that she was lying to herself, but he didn't make a point of it.

"You better be…" He said after a moment of silence. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"I told you I'll be okay!" she huffed. Sasuke chuckled and took his seat beside her again.

"Are you scared Sakura?" he finally asked. Sakura tilted her head towards him.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you scared about what might happen? I mean… you were nearly lost today…" he averted his gaze as not to reveal the signs of worry on his face. "Sakura smiled.

"Don't be stupid… I've been in worse situations than this…" Sasuke turned to her.

"But if we lose you… it won't just be death." He finally turned back to her. "You'll be used as a sex icon, Sakura…" His eyes narrowed a tiny bit, but no anger was behind them. "I… I don't want that."

Sakura gazed at Sasuke with a deep sadness. "Sasuke, I…" she sighed. "I know that you won't let anything touch me… neither will Naruto." She then grinned. "And I can take care of myself just fine too."

Sasuke smiled and brushed the hair out of her face once again. He looked over his shoulder towards the door as Naruto and Kakashi walked inside. Naruto grinned and ran over.

"Hey Sakura!" He said happily. "Glad to see that you're awake." Sakura laughed at his words.

"I'm fine, Naruto." She reassured him. "I'm just numb all over." Naruto scowled.

"That sure as hell doesn't sound fine." Kakashi pointed out as he scratched the side of his head. "But… from what I heard, you should at least be able to move your arms tomorrow morning." Sakura's face lit up immediately.

"How long will it take for my chakara to return?" She asked.

"Unfortunately… due to the overdose… that might take a couple of days." He replied. "You can spend that time at Sasuke's when we return." Sakura's smile faded a bit and she nodded.

"That's fine…" She mumbled. "Too bad I don't get to beat the living shit out of that Shojin guy…"

"I believe that he won't be in any state to be a punching bag for the next couple days…" Kakashi started. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, Sasuke nearly snapped his neck right in half!" Sasuke glared at the fox-child.

"Can we just forget about that?" he asked hotly. Sakura giggled, but quickly stopped as she opened her mouth to yawn.

"I don't know about you guys…" She mumbled. "But I'm beat. I'm going to rest now if you don't mind…"

Naruto and Kakashi bid Sakura a good night before exiting. Sasuke, on the other hand, decided to stay behind and keep a watch over her as she slept.

She needed to be guarded still… right?

TBC…

* * *

DONE! dies

I can't believe how long this ended up being! GOD!

Well it should keep you happy for now

Sorry for the lame-ass ending. I'm working on it.

ART LOVERS! I NEED IDEAS FOR STRIKING A POSE FANART!

I want to draw something, but I have no idea what to make! If you could give me ideas or even make your own art, I'd really appreciate it!

For ideas, send them in a note to me at www.demoneyes14. a lot!


	8. Filler Crap!

Yatta! The long awaited chapter! Sorry I didn't update sooner, I wanted to fix the ending so many times it was ridiculous!

And they FINALLY brought FMA to CANADA! Took them long enough! Geez!

I'll read the manga online and laugh at the anime later. Lol. I had finished Volume 1 a while ago and now that its on, I think I'll finish it.

Thanks for my 300 reviews people! I really appreciate it!

**Chapter 8: Filler crap!**

There was a flash of light as Haruno Sakura opened her eyes. There were voices chatting to one another quietly all around her, blended in with the occasional clicking sound. She growled and rubbed her eyes, sitting up in her bed. What was going on?

She let her eyes adjust to her surroundings and nearly shrieked at what she saw. Cameras… loads of them. Behind each one was a faceless person taking a shot of her and winding the film up again. She looked around with a horrified expression as another faceless man came up.

"Great, Sakura!" he exclaimed. "Love the pose! But could you possibly try something a little more daring for us?"

"W-what are you talking about?" the shinobi cried. "What are you all doing in here!" she tried to stand up, but she was pulled back down by an unknown force. She glanced over her shoulder to see a leash tied to the bedpost. The other end was tied to Sakura's neck. She grabbed the leather bindings and started pulling at it, but instead, earned more flashes from the camera and more cheers of approval. She instantly stopped and looked around frantically, trying to find any familiar face that would help her.

"Lets get the boy in with her!" someone cried. Even more cheers erupted from the crowd and a raven-haired boy was suddenly thrown in onto the bed. His blue shirt and spiky hair were immediately recognizable as he looked up at her.

"S-Sasuke?" She breathed. The Uchiha said nothing and instead looked away. She soon realized that his hands were tied back behind him and he was working to untie them.

"He's getting out of the binds!" a random female voice cried. "Somebody stop him!"

A needle with a familiar green liquid was thrown at him, piercing his throat and sending him down. A small pool of blood formed on the sheets and all that Sakura could see now was a pair of mortified looking black eyes.

* * *

"Sakura?"

Sasuke had been trying to wake Sakura up now for at least three minutes. She had started to toss and turn followed by occasional stressed whimpers. Her face had tensed up and she had started to mumble incoherently. Calling her name did no good, and shaking didn't do much better. He cursed to himself and tried again, trying to pull her out of whatever she was dreaming.  
"Sakura wake up!"

Her eyes shot open and she gasped, sitting straight up. She did not get that far, however, as something collided with her face, forcing her to close her eyes again. She felt something odd pressing against her mouth and heard a small grunt from what she had collided with. She opened an eye to see what she had run into and felt the blood rise to her face.

She had come face to face- no… mouth to mouth with Uchiha Sasuke! They could only help but stare at each other with wide eyes, both of them too horrified to even move.

They both came back to their senses simultaneously and pulled apart quickly. Their faces were both bright red and both were too embarrassed to look each other in the eye.

"You can move your upper body…" Sasuke said after a moment. Sakura glanced over to see that his blush had already vanished. "That's a good sign." He stood up and glanced over at her. "I'll go get you some breakfast."

With that he left the room. He had gone at a faster pace than normal and despite his appearance, was still extremely embarrassed.

He licked his lips unconsciously, silently taking note of what Sakura tasted like. He continued to hold down the blush that continued to rise to his face at the thought of what he had just done. Even in the amount of time that they had been 'lip locked', his mind and his hormones were in a struggle between either jumping away or getting a taste. And unlike most times, the hormones were fighting strong.

Fortunately for him, his conscience was the one to win, finally helping him pull away.

He sighed. He hadn't expected his first actual kiss with Sakura to end up like… he almost laughed. It was almost the same way he had ended up with Naruto when they were younger.

Looking around, he eventually saw a tray seated on the coffee table. The main dish was covered by a metal lid, and a small, orange piece of paper with Sakura's name written on it was on the corner. Sasuke paused and frowned. Another trap possibly?

He looked it over quickly, checking the food for any sign of odd odour or strange colour. Once satisfied, he stood up and took the tray into Sakura's room. He was surprised to find her sitting up with a pillow in her arms, muffled cries of… frustration he guessed… escaping it as Sakura relieved her stress. She soon resurfaced, gasping for air, her cheeks still a little flushed. Sasuke pretended to have just walked in the room as not to make her feel even more embarrassed around him. That was the last thing he needed right now.

He placed the tray down beside the bed and found his seat in the chair he had been in all night. Sakura nodded to him, her cheeks still pink.

"So you're interrogating Shojin today?" she asked as she placed the tray in her lap and lifted off the lid. Sasuke nodded.

"We'll be sent back to the leaf most likely." He replied. "I'm sure it'll get a lot rougher from there." Sakura nodded. She knew it was pointless to act positive. That was lying.

"Oi! Sasuke!" Naruto cried as he banged on the door. "Are you coming or not?"

Sasuke glanced at the door, then turned back to Sakura. "Do you want to see the interrogation?" he asked. Sakura nodded, a look of confidence in her face. Sasuke smirked. Sakura's determination was definitely something that everyone in their team enjoyed.

"Sakura's coming?" Naruto called, finally opening the door. His face lit up as soon as he saw Sakura and he bolted in, jumping on the bed (avoiding the food of course) and hugging her tightly.

"I'm so happy to see you feeling better, Sakura." He said gently. Sakura smiled and hugged him back, knowing that it would make the blonde even happier. Naruto drew away, a grin still on his face.

"Sasuke and I will go find you a wheelchair." He said happily. Sasuke opened his mouth to argue but Naruto shot him a glance that immediately made him stop.

Something was wrong? Already?

Sakura glanced up, clearly aware of his sudden change of expression.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" The shinobi blinked a bit and laughed nervously.

"I don't know where they hide the wheelchairs…" he admitted. "Sasuke could be more help to me so that I don't end up in Temari's bathroom or something…" He winced at the thought. Sakura didn't seem satisfied.

"Why not find Kakashi?" Naruto's odd look made her realize her mistake.

"Late." The three of them chorused. Sakura laughed and turned back to her meal.

"Well, good luck, you guys." She waved them farewell as the two left the room. With a satisfied smile, she began to eat, unaware that a certain piece of orange paper was missing.

* * *

Naruto dragged Sasuke a good distance away from Sakura's room and down into a secluded hallway. Once satisfied, he turned around to Sasuke, a serious look on his face.

"You didn't see it?" he immediately asked. Sasuke frowned.

"See what?" His answer was Naruto shoving a piece of orange paper in his face.

"This, you idiot!" he snapped. Sasuke glared and snatched the paper away and looked it over, immediately recognizing the handwriting. His eyes widened in horror.

"Another note…" he breathed. He glanced up at Naruto who nodded gravely.

"Its orange, idiot… how could you not see?"

"Exhaustion… anger… embarrassment… being around you twenty four seven…" He immediately received a blow to the side of his head.

"What's it say?" Naruto then asked. Sasuke glanced down at the paper and flipped it over. No writing whatsoever. He bent the paper slightly, looking for any signs of creasing. He finally saw it and tore it open, finding a short message on the inside.

_I'm always watching, my dear Sakura…_

_You look so sexy when you're defenseless…_

Sasuke paled, too shocked to even read it aloud. Naruto took the paper from his hands and read it himself, receiving a similar look of mortification. The two glanced at each other, both reading each others minds.

"A note here…" Sasuke started.

"The stalker is in the sand…" Naruto continued.

"In this building…" They both finished.

That was all they needed. With a quick turn, they were both down the hall and at Sakura's door.

"Sakura!" They both cried, bursting through the door. Sakura turned towards them, a look of shock on her face.

"W-what's going on?" She asked. Her eyes wandered to Naruto's hand, where the piece of orange paper was. Her face became grave. "A-another one?"

The two froze. "What do you mean 'another one'?" Sasuke asked. Sakura bit her lip and looked away.

"It started a few months back… in the spring…"

* * *

_Sakura groaned as she stretched her sore muscles. Their training had gone by slowly that day and she wasn't sure if she was going to make it home without collapsing. Naruto and Sasuke left, both of them just as tired as she was. Naruto immediately went downtown to get ramen with Sasuke. They asked her if she was coming with them, but she politely declined. They saw the fatigue in her eyes and knew she needed a long-deserved nap. After bidding farewell, she decided to take the shortcut through the park. The cherry blossom petals were in full bloom at this time, making the scene even more spectacular. She took a seat at her favourite tree; an ancient one with long, twisted branches that loomed out over the river. The roots spread out towards the nearby bridge and the branches took over the sky. Her father used to take her here when she was little and the tree brought back memories. _

_She had just gotten comfortable when she saw a man with a camera and a tripod looking at her curiously. She glanced over at him and he smiled politely, bowing a bit._

"_Oh, I'm sorry… did you want me to move so you could take a picture of the tree?" Sakura asked. The man smiled again and shook his head, his messy brown hair moving in the wind._

"_No, no…" he replied. "I was just about to ask you if you wouldn't mind me taking a shot with you in it. The shot would look even better with you in it."_

_Sakura was both surprised and flattered. "Do you do this for a living?" The man nodded. _

"_I publish a series of books with scenes from the different countries, showing the beauty of them all." He strode over to her and pulled a black book out of the bag he was carrying. The book seemed to be unused except for the little tags with the symbol of each country on it. "I have the leaf, sand, waterfall, stone, mist, cloud and even sound." He flipped it to the sound pages and Sakura was amazed at the beautifully haunting pictures coming from that country. This man was truly a professional._

"_I have pictures of people… places… anything that stands out in my eyes." Sakura turned to him, finally seeing his cool grey eyes up close for the first time. He was probably in his early twenties… maybe older. She wasn't sure. His face was gently angled and held a calm, comforting appearance. He was a truly different man._

"_I love scenes with individuals that blend in with nature." He then explained. "That's why I'd like to take one of you."_

_Sakura blushed a bit and nodded. "I'd be honoured." She replied with a smile. The man's eyes lit up immediately as he moved back to set up the camera and tripod. He searched through his bag, screwing on a lens and removing it again, trying to find the right one._

"_I'm Tobe, by the way." He said as he finally chose the right lens and focused it. "And you are…?" Sakura smiled as she gazed out at the water._

"_Sakura."_

_

* * *

"I received a photograph and a note from him a couple days later, thanking me for being in his picture." She glanced over at the two. "It's framed in my apartment."_

Sasuke frowned. "What about the notes?" he asked. Sakura fidgeted and looked down at her lap.

"Those… came later." She replied. "I found a folded up piece of paper like the one you have in my mailbox." She smiled slightly. "It was some poetry from a secret admirer… I got one every week… same place every time. Sometimes the paper was folded into origami." She laughed a bit. "The first note said that they fell in love with my picture and… other nice things…" She blushed a bit. "Nothing sick or anything… just nice." She looked up at Sasuke, who was listening intently, a serious look on his face.

"Then the notes got a little… weirder… the admirer asked me to meet him somewhere… I was late coming back from a mission so I missed him by an hour. The next note was a little more distressed… how they longed to see me up close… stuff like that."

"And you never told us?" Sasuke pressed. Sakura winced.

"I didn't think it was that important at the time." She paused. "Then I started to get a little scared when I found notes in my house. I stayed up all night for two days… I even slept over at Ino's, Hinata's and Tenten's places…"

"Do they know about the stalker?" Naruto then asked.

"A bit… they know about the notes." She said. Sasuke scowled, truly irritated now. She hadn't told them? This could be serious!

"And you didn't tell us because…?"

"I didn't want to worry you guys!" she cried, looking frustrated now. Her fists balled up in the sheets and her eyes stung with slight tears. "You keep quiet about your problems! Why can't I!" Sasuke glared.

"Because this is different!" He shot back. "Look at where you are, Sakura! You were more than just stalked!"

"Sasuke, that's enough!" Naruto snapped, taking a hold of his shoulder. Sasuke glared at the blonde boy, who shot his own glare back in return. Sakura sighed.

"The interrogation's starting soon… we should go." She said, glancing at them. "God if, I wasn't paralyzed, I would beat you both up right now!" the two boys turned back to Sakura, slightly surprised. Naruto was the first to talk.

"But Sakura, what about the wheel-"

"Someone carry me or something! Screw the wheelchair!" she replied hotly. Sasuke sighed and lifted her up, helping her onto his back. He hooked his arms around her legs and hoisted her up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck.

"We'll find a chair for her or something…" Sasuke muttered. Naruto laughed.

"You're as good as dead, Sasuke." He teased before running out of the room. The two remaining ninjas growled.

"I'll get him back later…" Sasuke muttered. Sakura laughed as Sasuke started to move.

"Sasuke…"

"Yeah?"

"The kiss never happened."

"What kiss?"

Sakura laughed again as the Uchiha smirked. He was surprised when he received a pat on the head and a sweet little "good boy" coming out of her mouth. His cheeks turned pink and a scowl appeared on his face.

"I'll get my revenge, Haruno…" he muttered darkly. "Just you wait…"

He heard Sakura laugh in his ear when another thought came to mind "Ah… Sakura… I've been meaning to ask you… why don't you want a wheel chair?"

"They make me feel even weaker." She replied in a tired tone. Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Besides… I don't need Hikone seeing me in one of those…"

"Don't worry about that…"

Sakura nodded as they headed through the door to the interrogation room… the place where they would find their next hint on the stalker and the photographer that hurt Sakura in the first place. Sasuke felt Sakura tense and immediately hesitated before walking in further.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sakura?" There was a small murmur of approval from her and he smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, Sakura. You'll be okay."

TBC…

* * *

Tadaaahhh! Sorry for the filler crap, I added some unneeded information… but I felt like it. So nyah XP

So the stalker ish following her. X3 I am so ebil…

Ah well…

You're just gonna have to wait.


	9. A Rude Awakening

Okie… first of all… APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG WAIT! I had some writers block… ;

Second of all… THANK YOU FOR ALMOST FOUR HUNDRED REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS! (surprisingly I haven't been flamed once for this! O.o)

Well thanks again! Hope you enjoy this chapter! REVIEW PLEASE!

**Chapter 9: Rude awakening**

"You seriously think I'll tell you?"

Hikone reclined lazily in his seat, placing his feet up on the table with a loud clunk. Grey eyes met green as Gaara and Shojin began another glaring contest.

"I know you'll tell me." The Kaze Kage replied darkly. "If not, I might just crush your feet so you don't get to leave the building the way you please." Hikone chuckled and stretched.

"I know what happens in here, Kaze Kage." He drawled. "I've been in one of these places in Konoha… you wouldn't torture me."

Kankuro, Temari, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura watched through the one-way window that viewed the interrogation room. Despite having his chakara points sealed off, Shojin Hikone seemed quite confident with himself. They had just begun and he already seemed to be grating through Gaara. Kankuro chuckled at Hikone's last statement and took a sip of his drink. Sasuke glanced over at Kankuro curiously.

"What happened that was so funny?" he asked. Kankuro smirked.

"He says they wouldn't torture him in an interrogation room in Konoha." He said as he stretched. His smirk grew as he turned back to Sasuke. "Don't forget… we're not in Konoha anymore…"

Gaara had spoken these same words as Sand began to skitter around the room. A sinister smirk spread across the Kaze Kage's face and Hikone began to look a little uneasy.

"Speak and I'll keep your heels intact." He whispered harshly. Shojin's eyes widened and his face became pale.

"Like hell I'm the stalker!" he cried. Gaara paused and frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. Hikone smirked and flicked his hair out of his eyes as he regained his composure.

"Why stalk her? I may be a bachelor looking for hot chicks, but I'm not one to go that far to get a good night in bed."

Sasuke felt his eye twitch involuntarily. "That sonova…" He immediately calmed down when he felt Sakura's hand on his arm.

"Just wait… you can beat the shit out of him later…" she said quietly. Sasuke laughed bitterly as he returned to listening to the smuggler.

"Word has been going around about Sakura's stalker… the orange letters…" He chuckled. "Do I look like a guy that writes on orange stuff to you?"

Sakura's hand tightened as she pulled out the note from her pocket. "Has he been on high guard since we caught him?"

"Yep." Kankuro replied. "Never moved once… stormed around the room a lot, but nothing else."

"So it wasn't Hikone that gave you the note…" Naruto muttered. He then snorted. "He still deserves a good kick in the ass…" He grinned. "Hey, Sakura… maybe when you get better, you can punch Shojin-bastard like you did to Sasuke!"

Sasuke and Sakura both winced at the memory. It had been during the mission to retrieve Sasuke… Sasuke hadn't expected it… he REALLY hadn't expected it… A small chuckle escaped his lips as he thought back.

It was a funny incident in hindsight… He had been battling against Naruto and had succeeded in throwing him aside for a couple moments. The shinobi had barely skidded to a halt when he heard a cry that he hadn't heard in two years.

"Sasuke!"

He had spun around, age old instincts telling him to run and save her from whatever trouble she was in. He saw her running towards him, hair still short from the two years absence… her red dress gone in replace of more compatible armor.

She had grown… he was impressed.

She had run up to him, tripping only once during the dash, eyes filled with… who knows what. Unfortunately, that innocent face had tricked him into letting his guard down… and she took that chance.

Her eyes filled with anger, her fist pulled back and he saw the chakara swirl into her fist as she hit him with the strongest punch she could muster. He was forced backwards and felt his feet leave the ground as he was sent flying backward with a bruised jaw and a bloody mouth.

Sasuke rubbed his jaw almost nostalgically at the memory. A smirk lingered on his face for a second or two until he turned back and focused on the interrogation.

"Do you know who the stalker is?" Gaara pressed. Hikone shook his head.

"Not a clue." He replied. "I don't think this guy wants to be very well known… it would ruin him for sure. Its clear he's keeping quiet for that reason alone." A small smirk appeared on his face. "I mean he still wants to get closer to little Sakura, right?"

"I'm gonna kill him…" both Naruto and Sasuke had vowed at the exact same time. Sakura glanced between the two, still a little anxious as it was.

"Just relax, you two…" She pleaded quietly, clasping their arms. Naruto's growling ceased as he slumped back. Sasuke, however, wasn't so obedient. His eyes focused on the silver haired man with pure anger and hate and he vowed silently that Hikone would not leave the Sand alive.

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha felt a sharp pain in the back of the head and turned to see Temari glaring down at him.

"Would you calm down!" she snapped. "We don't need you acting like some crazy three year old just because of this prick. Sure, we all want to kill him, but he's TRYING to grate through us! Think about it! If he didn't know you guys were watching, would he really continue with this bullshit!"

Sasuke sighed. Temari was right… he was trying to get to him. The Uchiha closed his eyes, calming his nerves down. His eyes opened again as he began to watch the interrogation once again.

"You should at least have links to the ones who gave you the smuggled crap, fool." Gaara continued. Hikone shook his head.

"They don't let us get that close… seeing as something like this could happen to them." He chuckled. "They're smarter than you think."

Sasuke paused. "Sakura… what about the photographer you mentioned?" he asked. Sakura glanced over at him.

"I was actually planning on finding him…" She explained. "But he moves around a lot... and I never got his home address because had mailed it from the Sound at the time."

Sasuke frowned. "I wonder if they sell his book here…" He said quietly. Sakura's eyes widened.

"You know… he might actually have them here!" she cried. She made a move to stand up but started to topple forward. Naruto was the first to catch her, pulling her back in her seat.

"You're still not fit to walk, Sakura." He said quietly. "Please don't do anything just yet… we'll find it before we return to the leaf. Okay?"

Sakura gazed into Naruto's pleading eyes and nodded, smiling gently. It was no wonder that Hinata loved him so much. Who could resist such pleading eyes?

& & & & &

The rest of the interrogation didn't go so well. Gaara suggested keeping him in the sand for a little longer, which team 7 thoroughly agreed to do.

"We don't want to drag the bastard back." Naruto explained with a grin. That seemed to be just fine with Gaara, whose eyes had become much more sinister at the mention of more interrogation and possible torture.

"So now all we have to do is find the book!" Sakura smiled as she walked through the town on crutches, Sasuke close beside her.

"Yeah, but where do you find a book like that?" he asked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"A book store of course." She laughed. Sasuke smiled slightly, happy to see Sakura acting like her old happy self again.

The two of them had gone to search for one of Tobe's famed books. They eventually stopped under a tree for Sakura to rest, still not able to use her legs just yet.

"I don't think that you'll find his book in a regular bookstore, Sakura…" Sasuke said with a frown. "Maybe a souvenir shop… or a place that deals with photos like that…"

Sakura pondered quietly, her arms wrapped around her crutches as she stared out into the crowd.

"I don't know, Sasuke." She admitted. "I think we should just look around for now. I'm not entirely sure where to start myself."

The two sighed as they continued to rest under the shade of the tree, leaving themselves stuck just as they had been before.

"Well…" Sasuke started, standing up straight. "We may as well start looking while we have the chance, right?" Sakura looked up and nodded, taking his extended hand as he helped pull her up. He quickly placed the crutches in their respected places and let Sakura get a hold of supporting herself again.

"I agree." She replied with a smile.

The two of them together wandered around the unfamiliar town, going in and out of stores as they searched for Tobe's book, and each time they left empty handed. They spent a good part of the late morning and early afternoon just searching for the book, continuously having no luck whatsoever.

"Now what?" Sakura sighed as they exited yet another store. "We've been through every book store in the town and they don't sell it. What do we do?"

Sasuke frowned as he walked beside her, making sure that her crutches didn't give way. Sakura frowned as well, glancing around at buildings. How could it be so hard to find one little book?

"Let's get something to eat." Sasuke sighed. Sakura glanced over and nodded in agreement, following him to the nearest food stand. She sat down on a bench in the shade as Sasuke ordered them some dumplings. He paid the merchant and came back, handing a plate with three sticks of dumplings to her. She gratefully accepted them and picked one up.

"We're leaving this afternoon." Sasuke said as he ate one of the dumplings on his plate. Sakura nodded in understanding.

"That means we'll have to try harder after the break." She said with a smile. Sasuke chuckled as he pulled one of the dumplings off the stick. Sakura laughed and leaned back, glancing around at the surrounding people. Her wandering eyes soon stopped on what looked like a large black book with a beautiful photograph of a waterfall on the front. Below the photo was the title of the book written in white letters.

TRANQUILITY OF THE CONTINENT

Sakura's eyes widened. "There!" She cried, pointing a shaky finger at the book. "That's it! That's Tobe's book!"

Sasuke glanced over to where she was pointing. Sure enough, resting beside a random customer was Tobe's book. The two could only stare in shock before (with a bit of effort due to Sakura's crutches) They walked over, looming over the customer. The owner, being a small woman, glanced up curiously.

"Uh… excuse me, miss… but could we possibly borrow that book quickly to find the address for the publishers?" The lady blinked, glancing between the pink haired girl and the gloomy, raven haired boy. She nodded quickly and handed the book to her. Sakura thanked her profusely, pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket and writing it down. Once done, she thanked the woman again as Sasuke helped her walk back.

"It's in Konoha." Sakura said with great confidence. Sasuke nodded, walking beside her deep in thought.

"So I guess we're leaving this afternoon." He replied. Sakura nodded.

"I'll have to go thank the Kaze Kage again." She smiled. "Not to mention Kankuro and Temari. They've all done so much…"

Sasuke didn't reply. She was right. That's all that needed to be said.

"You know what, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"I'm going to leave the crutches behind."

Sasuke turned to look at her, surprise clear on his face. "What?" Sakura smiled and stopped momentarily.

"If I'm going to start walking again, I need to start soon, right?" Sasuke sighed.

"I'm not going to argue with you." He said. "But you're not ditching them here."

"I know…" She sighed. "But when I get back, those crutches are STAYING!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't kill yourself on the way home." He muttered. Sakura merely giggled and continued on ahead, the male ninja following after her with a small smile on his face.

& & & & &

"Geez, Gaara must really hate the guy." Naruto muttered, helping hold Sakura up as they headed back to Konoha. The four of them had left as soon as Sasuke and Sakura had returned. Gaara requested that he stay a little longer for further questioning. Without Sakura there, he couldn't get under her skin.

"No doubt about it." Sasuke replied with a smirk. "It'll be great to see what state he comes back in."

"If he comes back at all." Naruto grinned. Sakura laughed lightly between the two as they tried to help Sakura regain power of her legs again as they walked home. She had started to move them slightly, but they were still not strong enough to hold her own weight.

"Hmm, its getting dark." Kakashi muttered as he glanced over his shoulder at the setting sun. "It looks like we might have to stop for a bit."

"No way!" Naruto cried. "The sooner we get to Konoha the better!"

Kakashi frowned. That was the problem. With Sakura's sudden influence on the male population, there was no clue on what they might find there.

He glanced over at the three as they continued to get Sakura steady on her legs. He smiled slightly at the sight. Ever since Sasuke returned, the three had bonded closer than ever before. They showed more teamwork together than anyone else he had ever seen.

But no… they weren't just team mates anymore. They were friends… the best of friends… inseparable. Just the sight before him was proof enough.

The sun soon fully set and the group found themselves on a familiar path home. His smile grew as Sakura began to take her first couple unsteady steps on her own, Naruto and Sasuke watching closely to make sure she didn't trip. She stumbled once or twice, but soon got the hang of it again as Team 7 walked towards the gate together.

"Sakura!"

The three slowed to a stop as three familiar faces came into view. Members of team 10, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji stood before them, protecting the gate. Ino glanced at Sakura with a pained expression and walked forward.

"Please don't come in tonight, Sakura." She pleaded quietly. "At least until morning…" Sakura frowned

"Why can't we go in?" She asked, slightly worried about the state of her hometown. Ino shook her head, glancing at the ground. Sakura immediately scowled.

"Ino if this is about popularity, I didn't mean for it to happen! I never WANTED it to happen!"

"I know." Ino replied. "Just listen to me… as your friend… I don't want you to see what's inside."

"I'd have to agree with Ino on this one." Shikamaru said, walking up beside her. "Its for Sakura's own good. She would not be happy with what she saw… none of you will be…"

"We can tell you, it isn't good. Everyone's trying desperately to stop it." Chouji added.

Sakura closed her eyes. "I've been put in an a hentai comic book against my will… sent notes by a perverted stalker… had to run to the sand to get my ass of a billboard, got drugged and paralyzed and had to learn to walk all the way home!" Sakura cried. "Surely I can handle one more thing!"

With that, she brushed past Ino and walked towards the gates, slipping through the small crack that was open. Sasuke glanced over at Shikamaru.

"Is it that bad?" he asked. Shikamaru nodded sadly. "Shit…" With that, he ran in after the young Haruno, stopping by her side when he too saw the sight she had discovered.

There before him was the night group of Konoha… perverts and prostitutes littering the street. Unlike the usual hookers around at night, the females had all dyed their hair bright pink to match hers. They wore skimpy red costumes with her family symbol clad on them while the men wore dark red shirts with the white ring and an arrow pointing downwards towards their groin.

Sasuke immediately caught Sakura's hand, feeling her legs give way and sink to the ground. He crouched down beside her, trying to tear her eyes away from the sight before her,

"Sakura." He breathed, placing his hands on her shoulders. He winced slightly when he saw tears stinging her eyes as he pulled her up into a standing position. Naruto, who had come up to see the sight as well, gaped at it in sheer horror. Just as Sasuke had gotten her up, a man walked over to the Uchiha, glancing at the girl in his arms.

"Hey, that's a nice girl you have. Mind if I borrow her when you're done?"

Sasuke finally felt himself snap. His free fist clenched as he swung a punch at the man, sending him to the ground.

"Stay the hell away from her, you bastard!" he snapped. With that, he lifted Sakura up in his arms and leapt up onto the buildings, heading away from the area with her as fast as he could. Behind him, he could see Naruto finishing the job with the man as he headed back to his house.

He slowed to a stop once he entered the Uchiha manor, cradling the little Sakura in his arms. He glanced down and whispered her name, quickly noting that her tears had finally started to fall.

"Sakura…" He said again, letting her stand. As soon as her feet touched the ground, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her close. He felt Sakura cry into his shirt as he continued to comfort her under the stars. He placed his hand on the back of her head, continuously comforting her as he picked her up and led her back to his room.

He placed her down gently on the bed, letting himself down beside her. Sakura immediately curled up in his arms, crying her heart out.

"I don't get it, Sasuke…" She whimpered. "Why does this all have to happen to me?" She looked up at him, her eyes still filled with tears. "I didn't want this to happen! You believe me, right?"

Sasuke glanced down at her in surprise. Why wouldn't he believe her? He nodded gently, holding her close in reassurance. Sakura's crying soon ceased as she rested against him, still clinging to his shirt as she fell asleep.

Sasuke kept his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. His eyes widened immediately as realization dawned on him.

This was the first time he had held Sakura like this…

… and he enjoyed it.

TBC…

THERE! Complete! X3 Apologies again for the wait. I'll get the next one up sooner. Strange way to end a chapter in my opinion… but you can live with it, right?

Number one excuse for my lateness, my friend kept bugging me about playing his acoustic at school (which I couldn't) so I asked my dad to just teach me a song so I could get him off my back. Unfortunately, my friend was so impressed, he wants to teach me more. Not to mention that this kid is the second guy my ex-friend tried to hook me up with! ITS STRESS I TELL YOU!

Also, I'm making a doujin based on the fic The Uchiha Sweetheart. That's a fic I totally recommend

Now OFF TO BUY ADVENT CHILDREN! AWAY!


	10. Originality

HO SHIZ!!! FIVE HUNDRED EFFING REVIEWS! –faints-

I can't believe you T.T

I know I know… six months is a long time… and I really hope this pays back for it. A lot has happened. I became the hokage of NAFA on DA… subliminaljoin/subliminal

I have lots of stuff to do, so I hope you're happy with this.

I apologize, but I HAD to add Sai again T.T He's just so smexy.

ON WITH THE STORY!!!

… screw disclaimers. Do I look Asian to you?

**Chapter 10: Originality**

He had watched her through the night, not falling asleep until a good ways past midnight. His arms continued to hold her close and his face was now buried in the crook of her neck.

Wait… what the hell was he doing?!

His face pulled back as his conscience kicked in. Heat rose to his face as realization sunk in. The Uchiha was only halfway through scolding himself when Sakura stirred

"Sasuke?" She mumbled. Sasuke glanced down, frowning.

"Did I wake you up? Sorry." He said gently. Sakura shook her head.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled. "Are you okay? You look flushed." Sasuke nodded quickly, looking away.

"I'm fine." He replied. Sakura nodded and sat up. Her face showed that she was recollecting the memories from the night before. Green eyes became wide and watery and her frame began to tremble.

"Y-you mean that it wasn't…" Her lip quivered and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"No, Sakura don't-"

She had started crying again.

Sasuke inwardly groaned as the Haruno continued to sob. Sure, he was pissed as hell about the incident too… but… did she have to keep crying?! There were some things about girls that he would just never understand!

Sakura immediately calmed down, suppressing her cries and swallowing. "Sorry, Sasuke…" She mumbled. He looked down at her, silently noting that one of her hands was fisted in her pink hair.

"So much for originality, huh?" She laughed sadly. Sasuke frowned and sat her up.

"You're not you without it." He said gently. Sakura paused.

"But all of those other girls are trying to be me…" She pointed out. Sasuke shook his head.

"Well they don't do a very good job." He said with a small smile. It was true. All of the other girls had pink hair… but none that truly matched Sakura's. Their hair was either too artificial or too faded. Sakura had the perfect natural colour that he was so used to seeing every day. Sakura glanced up at him and smiled, her eyes still quite watery.

"Thanks, Sasuke." She mumbled. She sniffled slightly and wiped her eyes, removing any proof that she had been crying. "I'm sure today will go better."

Sasuke nodded and helped her out of bed.

"Today's our day off." He pointed out. "Let's just stay inside today, alright?"

"No."

Sasuke looked down at her in surprise. The young Haruno looked up at him with a determined smile.

"I still don't have my chakara, right?" She pointed out. "This would be the perfect time to strengthen me in Taijutsu!"

Sasuke paused for a moment and couldn't help but agree with her. This was the perfect opportunity. There were no seals to weaken her either! It was perfect!

"Can you walk yet?" He asked. Sakura tested her footing and nodded.

"Let's find Naruto too." She suggested with a grin. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure he'll find out."

"Aww, but Sasuke!"

"No whining."

"Meanie!"

"Just be quiet."

Right now, Sasuke was more than just tempted to clamp a hand over her mouth. Although he was happy to see her smiling again, her need for Naruto to come along somehow grated his nerves.

"Oh, I get it! You're jealous!"

Sasuke froze. What was she doing now? Could she read his mind?

"Yes Sasuke, I'm reading your mind." She winked before running down the path out of Uchiha territory, leaving the stunned shinobi behind. Sasuke smiled and soon began following after her at a light pace, knowing that he could catch her in a matter of seconds if he felt like it.

Besides, he may as well enjoy his time with Sakura while he had it.

* * *

Sakura headed towards the bridge, Sasuke now close behind her. She had said that she stopped because she was bored and wanted someone to talk to… but something about the way she spoke made Sasuke think otherwise. Her smile seemed strained as she spoke to him.

Then again… those women they passed by weren't sending her the nicest of looks.

As they headed further in town, he couldn't help but notice the dirty looks from the middle-aged women getting worse and worse. Sakura's bouncy stride slowly faded away as they whispered to one another. Sasuke frowned as he followed alongside her. It seemed that everyone knew of the sudden trend and several weren't happy at all.

"Oh look! Hats!"

Sasuke blinked as Sakura ran over to the small hat stand, admiring the cute, fuzzy toques with ears.

"How do I look, Sasuke?" She laughed, putting on one that resembled a panda. Sasuke was having troubles trying to figure out whether to answer or not. All he could see was that Sakura was trying to hide her image. She was scared of being hated again, and hid her hair under a hat, just as she had once done by hiding her forehead with her bangs.

She was violated, in a sense… her body and face now the icon of porn magazines. Now her true body and face were hated among the older women who didn't understand the effect this had on her. The gossipy women who believe they were the law of the civilized world now saw Sakura as trash along with all those beneath them.

"Nice hat…" A voice called from above. The two glanced up to see a familiar silhouette standing on the rooftop. "But it doesn't really suit you, Sakura."

The pink-haired girl smiled happily as the leaf-nin jumped down in front of them, standing up to smile at her.

"It's been a while." Sai said with his usual small grin. The smile faded slightly as gazed at her. "I heard about the news…" He added softly. "… and I intend to help in whatever way I can."

"Sai…" Sakura resisted the urge to just hug the root member. It had been far too long since she had last seen him. It wasn't often that they shared missions together and it was rare for both of them to not be on a mission at the same time.

She also knew of the dislike that Sasuke held towards the painter. The two weren't really on good terms since they had met. Even after they managed to bring Sasuke back, Sasuke seemed almost hostile towards him. Sai always dismissed it for him being upset for losing his spot in Team 7, making it seem like a lighthearted joke.

"Don't worry about it." He said with a small smile. "Your ugliness isn't something that should be shown around like that."

Of course this left Sai with a bruised cheek. Sakura blushed and turned away, her arms crossed as she went into pouting mode. Sai gingerly touched his cheek and laughed softly. Sakura eventually looked at him again, a sheepish grin on her face as well.

"I think you're going easy on me now, Sakura." Sai teased as he stepped back, ignoring Sasuke's glares in the process. "You had better go train. Naruto wished to speak with me."

"About what?" It was the first thing Sasuke had said. Sai turned to Sasuke, his eyes holding small glimmer of mischievousness behind them.

"That, Sasuke, Sakura… would be a secret. He stepped around them, waving before heading off. "You'll find out soon enough!"

Sasuke and Sakura could only watch after the painter nin as he ran off. Well… of course, it was more of a glare for Sasuke, but he was soon dragged away by the kunoichi to help her train.

* * *

"No, Sakura… you're doing it wrong."

"I'm Sorry!"

Sasuke sighed and walked up to her. He had already forced her to run, do drills, lift heavy things around, and now they were onto the real taijutsu. "You're too confident with your chakara, which is something you lack at the moment." He took her hands, which were currently pulling at her hair, and removed them from her head. "Rely less on your chakara and more on your own muscles."

"Alright…" She clenched her fist. Sasuke nodded and let go of her, stepping back. "There's more than just chakara. Use your own energy."

Her next few punches and kicks at him were better, but still not what he wanted. "Punch me like you used to punch Naruto damnit!" He snapped. Again, the blows failed to meet the requirements. Sasuke stepped back and placed his hands together in a seal. "Alright let's try something else…"

There was a puff of smoke and now standing before the kunoichi was Sai. He smiled and waved at her. "Hey there, ugly."

Sakura twitched and there was another puff of smoke. "Forehead girl!" Ino cried, pointing at her. Sakura's fists clenched as a third puff of smoke appeared. "Sakura has a beautiful wide forehead and inhuman strength! She punches like a hippo!"

WHAM!

There was another puff of smoke where Sakura punched the fake Naruto, and a figure clad in dark clothes was sent flying out, landing on his back. Sasuke sat up and rubbed his cheek, looking up at her in sheer disbelief.

"Augh! Sasuke I'm so sorry!" She cried, running over to him. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to–"

"No its okay…" He said, standing up. "That's what I'm looking for." He glanced down at her sheepish face as he wiped the blood off his chin. "Punch at me like you would Naruto or Sai. Direct anger like that towards all your enemies."

"Alright…"

And so it began. Sakura's punches were much stronger than before, but still not up to snuff. Of course, they would have a few more days to practice before her chakara fully returned. And even so, they could have someone temporarily seal it off again when it did start to return.

They returned later in the afternoon, both quite satisfied with what she had managed to achieve in that span of time. The two had headed back that afternoon, immediately heading to Ichiraku in order to search for their blonde teammate. Of course, the two couldn't help but be slightly surprised that the fox wasn't there for his afternoon meal.

"That's odd…" Sakura murmured. Sasuke ignored her and continued on down the road. What surprised him was that not only were their friends not there, but also the other members of the village were missing as well.

"Looking for someone?"

Sasuke spun around to come face to face with a smiling Sai. Sakura spun around at the sound of the boy's voice, her green eyes lighting up.

"Sai!"

The artist turned his head to look at the pink-haired kunoichi before taking her hand.

"We have something to show you." He informed her softly. With that he created a simple hand seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke followed quickly, anger growing all the more in the pit of his stomach. What the hell was going on, and since when did Sai get that cozy with Sakura?

The three appeared in a darkly lit room with a polished wooden floor. A stone wall stood behind them along with on either side, and before them was a red curtain. Sasuke glanced at the other black-clad boy, who put a finger over his lips.

"Just wait here." He said quietly before going through the curtain. Sasuke and Sakura exchanged confused glances, but did as they were told.

At least they could see what was going on…

* * *

"They're ready." Sai said calmly to the finely dressed group before him. A young blonde man with striking blue eyes nodded, an eager smile on his face as he adjusted his top hat. Another man with brown hair and sharp looking eyes chuckled to himself while another one merely sighed.

"I can't believe you pulled me into this." He muttered.

"Oh shut it!" A fifth boy said, whacking the fourth one on the head. "You know that my sworn rival refused to participate in this! That's why you're here!"

"And that's why the lazy ass is up in lighting?" He said, loud enough for the long-haired man in the catwalk to hear as he glared upward. His eyes narrowed and he flipped a switch, shining a powerful light in his eyes.

"FUCK! Turn it off!" the fourth man cried as he shielded his eyes. Eventually the light flicked off, leaving him blinded nonetheless.

"Such a pain in the ass…" He hissed. "Let's get this goddamn thing over with."

"Agreed." A sixth man, slightly taller than the rest, strode into the group, his top hat tilted fashionably on his head as silver hair covered his one eye. "Curtains up." He winked.

* * *

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd that stood before the stage. Questions such as 'what do you think is going on' and 'where the hell did this massive stage come from' being the two major ones. The crowd was immediately silenced by a booming voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Here live in Konoha comes a special presentation from fellow shinobi from all around!" The crimson curtains drew back slowly, revealing six men in black suits in top hats; three on each side of the stage. Tipping the hats slightly, they pulled them off their heads and extended them out to the center, where in unison they called out:

"Doshite no Sakura wa sho ka game!!"

Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened as they watched from backstage as six of their friends continued to make fools of themselves on stage.

"What are they doing?" Sakura breathed. Sasuke shook his head.

"Shall we wait to find out?" He inquired lightly as he glanced down at her. Sakura looked up with a smile and nodded.

"Yes, lets."

The crowd, both excited, and stunned at the same time, decided to stay to see what the show was about. More people walking by joined the audience which was soon crowding around.

"You see…" Naruto stepped forward and brought the hat to his chest. "Ever since the Icha Icha incident, we have been having problems trying to find our dear friend Sakura."

"We soon became frustrated." Kakashi continued. "So we got something that would get her attention."

"A game, we should say." Sai intoned with his mysterious smile. "A game with a prize that any female would fall for."

The boys (minus Shikamaru of course) smirked to themselves as they put their hats back on.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke choked.

Sakura snorted.

Girls swooned

Fangirls shrieked.

And all the other guys rolled their eyes.

"N-nice prize…" Sakura was trying to stifle her laughter, but was failing miserably. Sasuke glared and whacked her on the head.

"Now tell us! If you are Sakura, come up on stage!" Lee shouted to the riled up audience. A stampede of girls shook the ground; some of them with pink hair, and some of them not. They squealed and crowded the stage. Kiba, one of the boys in the top hats, frowned and leapt up to the catwalk quickly.

"I think we'll need more stuff." He informed Tenten and Neji. Tenten nodded and vanished while Neji took over her job of tying the ropes up properly.

White eyes glanced up at the messy haired boy. "Do you think this will work?" He asked. Kiba grinned and shrugged.

"Who knows?" He laughed. "All I know is that the ending will be hilarious no matter what."

With that, he leapt back down to the stage, his eyes set on the group of girls, which had already started to be narrowed down until the remains were pink-haired, skimpy clad wannabes who claimed to be the medic nin. Shikamaru had gotten fed up halfway through and walked off the stage, simply stating that it was too troublesome to finish. Several more pink-haired girls claiming to be Sakura came up on stage as well, and soon, about forty finalists were left on stage.

"Now." Sai stated with his usual secretive smile. "Sakura is strong and agile. Her monstrous strength is known everywhere along with her wide forehead."

Backstage, Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "That asshole!" She hissed, immediately seeing Sai catch her eyes. "I'm going to kill him!"

Just as she made a move to walk, she felt herself jerked back to where she was. Turning around, Shikamaru stood there, now missing his tie, coat and top hat. "Sorry, Sakura, but I can't afford to have you go out there."

Sakura frowned. "Why not?" She asked. Shikamaru smirked.

"You'll see."

The girls were lined up together, giggling and shoving one another as Sai walked up to the side of the stage. He glanced up at the catwalk, making sure Tenten had returned. She glanced down and gave him the thumbs up, giving him the signal to go ahead. An unusually dark and sinister smile spread on Sai's face; one that would even make the likes of Orochimaru shiver. His slender fingers gripped a rope beside him as he turned back to the audience.

"And now, perverts, stuck-ups, and other members of the crowd who have no idea what is going on… we shall now narrow down the group even further."

With that, he jerked the rope downward, dumping a massive amount of green dye on the heads of the unaware females. High pitched shrieks echoed through Konoha and for a split second, they feared the stage would collapse.

Sai straightened up and dusted himself off, glancing at the now green women. Naruto came up in front of the shocked audience, throwing off his top hat in the process.

"None of these idiot girls is Haruno Sakura!" He shouted angrily. "It never ceases to piss me off how many of you seem to love the idea of copying or degrading my friend!" His eyes flashed as he spoke as he pointed to the group of girls. "If ANYONE does anything like this to Sakura again, I promise that a fate ten thousand times worse shall befall you!"

Kiba threw off his hat as well and ripped off the tie, muttering something about it being a pain in the ass. "Sakura isn't some porn star or model." He added. "She's a spectacular shinobi with enough problems to deal with without this stupid incident!"

They watched as the women in the crowds began whispering to one another, shooting dirty glances up at the stage. Sai took this chance to walk up and remove his own hat, tossing it aside.

"As for you ugly hags out there," he began calmly, "who believe that you are so much better than the rest of society. I would like to take a moment and praise you on your stupidity." This received several gasps from the audience, making the artist grin on the inside.

At least they weren't denying anymore.

"How many of you ugly hags have sons or daughters that are ninjas?" He asked. "Haruno Sakura is Yondaime's personal apprentice and one of the top medic nins out there! And how many times have you even thought about thanking her? Not once! Because you'd all rather spread degrading rumors about her instead!"

Kakashi smiled to himself and glanced at the girls that still stood on the stage. It was only then that he noticed that they were held by Kage Mane no Jutsu. He smiled at Shikamaru backstage before turning back to the women.

"And as for you…" His onyx eye glinted eerily as he stepped toward them. As he did, a light near his feet flicked on while the one above him turned off; giving him an even more eerie appearance. He glanced up and waved at Neji in thanks, who nodded back, before glancing back at the frightened group. "If any of us ever see another Sakura impersonation, I seriously doubt that any of us will be very happy… especially Sakura herself."

The prostitutes and wannabes were frozen in fear, which gave Shikamaru the chance to release his hold and lead Sakura out. He of course had shed the coat, top hat and had already had his white shirt un-tucked. Sai smiled and took her up to the front, taking one of her hands in the process. Naruto took the other as they dragged her to center stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," They announced in unison, "we would like you to meet the REAL Haruno Sakura!"

With that, they lifted her arms into the air and they gracefully took a bow as the crowd (minus the offended women) broke into a huge applause. Sakura felt a blush rise to her face as the cheers grew even louder. Kiba and Shikamaru stood further back with satisfied grins on their faces. Neji and Tenten watched lazily from above; pleased that the plan had been a success. She looked behind her to see that Sasuke was peeking through the curtains with a small smile on his face. She felt those annoying butterflies in her stomach flutter around happily.

She had never felt so special in her entire life.

* * *

"Thank you so much everyone!" She exclaimed as she pulled both Sai and Naruto into a hug. The two teammates could only smile as they embraced her back. Several more hugs were spread through the rest of the group; from Kakashi, to Tenten to Shikamaru and Kiba. She fortunately managed to stop in mid-leap at Neji, and smiled sheepishly, extending a hand. The prodigy simply chuckled and ruffled her hair just as an older brother would.

They ended up at Chouji's favourite barbeque restaurant and a huge meal was made to celebrate the day's work. Sakura offered to pay for everything, but her generosity was immediately turned down. Sasuke reassured her that they only wanted the best for her and that everyone could pay for their own. Today was her day.

Celebrations grew larger and soon other friends came in. Their now massive party had expanded and even the Hokage herself made an appearance. Things got crazy and Neji and Sakura found themselves in a position that they could not escape.

"Just go, Neji!" Naruto had laughed. The Hyuuga's eye twitched and even the medic-nin found herself trying to plot an escape. She glanced at Sasuke, who was watching her with his own taunting smirk.

DAMN him! He was against her too!

The two glanced between each other before Neji finally leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

Several groans spread through the crowd as he led her out of the circle. He smirked as he glanced over at the disappointed Naruto.

"You didn't exactly say _where_ to kiss her, did you?" He asked in a mocking tone. The blonde ninja scowled and pouted, but soon more dares were brought up, making him forget the incident completely.

The party soon dispersed and Sasuke led Sakura home. He glanced over at the smaller shinobi, discovering a smile on her face.

"Did you really like that kiss that much?" He questioned with a curious gaze. Sakura blinked and blushed, making her suddenly more innocent then she usually looked.

"No… well…" She smiled sheepishly. "Just everything today… that whole performance they pulled off… you helping me with my Taijutsu…" her smile broadened and she gripped his hand happily. "I haven't been so happy in so long."

Sasuke gazed at her with a solemn expression. He had to admit, this was the happiest she had been a while. Just this morning she had been in tears and now she looked like she had just been granted her deepest wish.

He paused. It was a long shot but… it was worth a try.

With a light jerk, the prodigy pulled Sakura back to face him. When she opened her mouth to question his actions, he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. He pulled back and got a quick glance at her shocked expression before continuing his trek to the manor.

"S-S-Sasuke…" She stammered with a blush. "W-Wait up! What was that about?! Sasuke! Come back!"

He wasn't sure why… but he slept easier that night. Maybe it was the fact that there was some sake in his blood… or maybe it was the fact that it was quieter around the manor now… or possibly that he was once again cradling his one-again-one-of-a-kind Sakura in his arms.

Nah… it couldn't be that.

TBC...

* * *

So yes… I pray that this will fill your appetites for a while. Yes I know I had some NejiSaku and SaiSaku hints in here… but as you can see, I got hooked on those pairings as well. T.T

As I said before go to www.nafa. and enter our art contest:3 I'll be putting up some funnies later on 3

For now, I must DRAW

Laters :3

And Happy Halloween 333


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